It’s a low country rider.
Hyundai has confirmed that the first vehicle built at its new electric car factory outside Savannah, Ga., will be the 2025 Ioniq 5.
Production of the compact SUV is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
“This is a very exciting time for HMGMA,” Oscar Kwon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group North America, said in a press release.
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“We are in the final phase of construction and are getting ready for the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 to roll off the line. It’s the ideal vehicle for us to start production with.”
The Ioniq 5 was named the 2022 World Car of the Year and is one of the best-selling EVs in the U.S. Hyundai delivered 33,918 to customers in 2023 and sales through May of this year were up 43% to 14,973.
Prices for today’s South Korea-built exports start at $43,175 and don’t qualify for the federal tax credit on electric vehicle purchases, but Hyundai makes it up with a $7,500 rebate and the Savannah-built cars should qualify for the full amount. The credit can be applied to leases on the South Korea-sourced cars, however.
One model that isn’t planned for U.S. production is the high performance Ioniq 5 N, which has a 641 hp all-wheel-drive system plus a simulated exhaust and eight-speed transmission. The latter features aimed at making it more entertaining than the typical silent, single-speed electric vehicle.
Hyundai’s new factory is located across the state from its sister company Kia’s plant in West Point, Ga., where it started building the electric EV9 SUV in May. The EV9 is designed on the same platform as the Ioniq 5 and was named 2024 World Car of the Year, while the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan took the title in 2023.