Hyundai is celebrating 40 years in Australia this month, marking the milestone with more than 2.2 million vehicles sold since the brand first arrived with local showrooms in 1986.
The company traces its Australian beginnings to a single dealership in Perth, where the Hyundai Excel was first introduced locally. The small hatchback would go on to become one of Australia’s most recognisable budget cars, with more than 250,000 examples sold and its drive-away pricing campaign helping popularise nationally advertised fixed-price offers.
Hyundai’s best-selling model remains the i30, which has recorded more than 450,000 Australian sales since launching in 2007. At its peak, the hatch topped the national sales charts on multiple occasions, cementing Hyundai’s position as one of Australia’s leading automotive brands.
The anniversary also reflects Hyundai’s broader evolution over the past four decades. Alongside mainstream passenger cars and SUVs, the company has introduced high-performance i30 N, i20 N, and Kona N models, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and an expanding range of electric vehicles, including the award-winning IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6.
Hyundai says the milestone comes as it continues to expand its electrified lineup, with recent additions including the INSTER, IONIQ 9 and ELEXIO. Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano said:
“For many Australians, a Hyundai was their first new car. For others it became the family car they relied on, the car they learned to drive in or the vehicle that took them on holiday around the country. That’s what we’re celebrating. Hyundai has always believed progress comes from challenging expectations. We’ve never been afraid to do things differently, and I think our customers have recognised and rewarded that over the past 40 years.”
Today, Hyundai backs its Australian range with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty when vehicles are serviced through its authorised dealer network. In terms of what’s in the pipeline? The new i30 sedan will launch soon, as well as the Palisade XRT Pro, and then the new Kona and Tucson expected next year.
