• The company is investing more than $26 billion into North American production.
  • New investments have been confirmed for engine and hybrid component production.
  • Hyundai’s CEO is hopeful the company can become part of the “American dream.”

Hyundai boss Jose Muñoz has declared that the South Korean brand will soon become more American than some of the country’s biggest OEMs thanks to billions of dollars in investments heading stateside. This will include investments of roughly $500 million into its Alabama facilities.

The company stepped up its commitment to U.S. manufacturing in August, announcing $26 billion worth of investments to increase local production. The crown jewel of Hyundai’s American operations is the HMGMA factory in Georgia, which could see its annual capacity swell to between 700,000 and 800,000 vehicles by 2028.

Read: Hyundai’s Georgia Plant Could Become America’s Largest Car Factory, And Trump’s Tariffs Are Why

In addition to these investments, Muñoz has revealed Hyundai will spend “about half a billion dollars” at its manufacturing sites in Alabama. Speaking at the recent Auto News Congress, Muñoz says these funds will allow the company to expand production of new engines and hybrid systems.

Muñoz added that Hyundai will build the Tucson hybrid in Alabama, as well as the popular Santa Fe. Thanks to these investments, along with a plan to launch 58 new or updated models in North America through 2030 and build 80 percent of the cars it sells in North America locally, Muñoz declared Hyundai will be “more American than a lot of the American OEMs.”

Hyundai’s American Dream

Hyundai’s ambitions don’t end there. Muñoz says that in a decade, he hopes the company will be viewed as part of the American dream.

“I hope we would be recognized by consumers for very good quality, very good safety, very good reliability, but I hope we would be recognized as part of the American dream,” he said. For a company that isn’t American, that’s a bold claim.

Ladder-Frame Models Are Coming

Hyundai Boulder Concept

Hyundai will need several of its planned new models to sell well if it has any hope of being viewed as favorably as the likes of General Motors and Ford. One of these new models will be a ladder-frame-based mid-size pickup truck that’s expected to launch by 2030, rivaling models like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, and GMC Canyon.

This isn’t the only enticing new model that Hyundai is developing. A rugged SUV based on the same platform and inspired by the radical Boulder concept is in the works. This model will directly target the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco.

2027 Hyundai Tucson