Hyundai models

Hyundai: from the Pony to a global design story

Hyundai Motor Company was incorporated in South Korea in 1967. Its Ulsan assembly plant was completed the following year, and early production began with the Ford Cortina. The decisive step towards an identity of its own came in the 1970s. Hyundai worked with Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro on the Pony project, previewed at the 1974 Turin Motor Show alongside the Pony Coupe Concept and developed into the company’s first independent production model.

The Pony entered production in 1975 and reached export markets in 1976. It was more than an early Hyundai nameplate: it became an emblem of South Korea’s emerging car industry and gave the company a foundation from which to develop its own vehicles, engines and international operations. That progression continued through the Excel, Sonata and Elantra, the first independently developed Alpha engine, and manufacturing expansion beyond Korea.

Heritage used as a design tool

Hyundai now treats the Pony as a working reference rather than a sealed museum piece. Its heritage programme connects Giugiaro’s original sketches and the restored Pony Coupe Concept with later projects such as the IONIQ 5 and N Vision 74. This creates a visible link between Korea’s first independently developed model and Hyundai’s current design work.

That willingness to revisit its past sits alongside rapid technical change. Hyundai began fuel-cell research well before its current electric range, built a broad international manufacturing base, and developed recognisable families of saloons, hatchbacks, crossovers and performance cars. Its modern range is not tied to one silhouette: compact models, three-row vehicles and dedicated electric cars are allowed distinct characters while sharing the same badge.

Hyundai on DriveSize

The 2023 Hyundai Kona and 2024 Kona Electric show one familiar name moving across powertrain types. The 2024 Santa Fe and 2023 Palisade provide a bridge to Hyundai’s larger crossover range. Each DriveSize guide refers to the named model year rather than standing in for every regional version.