Hyundai invests $290 million to boost SUV production at Alabama Manufacturing Plant
August 31, 2023
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC, (HMMA), Hyundai’s US-based manufacturing plant, has announced it will invest $290 million to enhance the production of sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) at its Montgomery facility. The company has allocated $190 million for tooling and equipment upgrades to prepare for the production of the all-new fifth-generation Santa Fe, and $100 million to support ongoing production of its Tucson SUV and Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle.
Announcing the investment plans, HMMA President and CEO, Ernie Kim was joined by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and leaders from the City of Montgomery, Montgomery County, and the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.
“Today, the legacy of the Santa Fe continues with HMMA investing $190 million dollars to prepare our assembly plant for the next generation of this popular SUV,” stated HMMA President and CEO, Ernie Kim. “An additional $100 million dollars will be invested to support ongoing production of the Tucson SUV and Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle.”
HMMA first began assembling the Santa Fe in 2006, and this will be the first full model change since 2018. The all-new Santa Fe is reported to feature a bold exterior design, an enlarged tailgate and cabin, a more refined interior made with sustainable materials, and a variety of high-tech features including a Panoramic Curved Display.
Montgomery Chamber Board Chairman LaBarron Boone commented. “The people of Montgomery and the wider River Region have benefitted from our partnership with Hyundai for more than two decades. During that time, there have been 16 expansions of HMMA, an investment that totals $3.37 billion at just the Montgomery plant alone.”
The all-new Santa Fe will join Hyundai’s Tucson SUV, the Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle, and both the electrified and internal combustion engine versions of the Genesis GV70 luxury SUV on HMMA’s assembly line when production begins later this year.
Governor Ivey added, “Hyundai’s nearly 4,000 Alabama employees have been making some of the highest awarded vehicles in America for nearly two decades, and the production of the completely re-designed Santa Fe mid-size SUV is another exciting milestone for the company’s Montgomery manufacturing facility. I can’t wait to see the exciting new design on roads in Alabama and across the nation.”