Despite Trump’s auto tariffs, Hyundai, Kia CEOs say no immediate price hikes in US
Hyundai Motor debuted the all-new Nexo, the automaker’s second-generation fuel cell electric mid-sized sport utility vehicle, at the Seoul Mobility Show 2025 at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday, reaffirming its continued push to advance hydrogen mobility.
Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jose Munoz emphasized that the automaker is looking at the hydrogen mobility sector not for the short term but for the long term as the related market has yet to reach critical mass.
“There is no doubt that, for the future generations, this is a great technology because it’s helping with the sustainability of the environment,” Munoz said.
Hyundai Motor said it is targeting more than 700 kilometers of driving range from a five-minute charge for the all-new Nexo, which underwent a full-scale redesign from the previous Nexo model launched in March 2018.
“While we are leading the transition to electrification, we understand that this business is based on consumer demand, which is why we continue to invest in hybrid electric vehicles, extended range electric vehicles, or EREVs, and vehicles powered by internal combustion or even fuel cells,” said Munoz.
Regarding US President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement of 25 percent tariffs on auto imports, the Hyundai Motor CEO pointed out that there are no plans to raise the prices of the Korean automaker’s cars in the US “at this time.”
Hyundai Motor also unveiled the new Ioniq 6, an all-electric sedan, and the design of the new Ioniq 6 N Line, the automaker’s high-performance EV brand, for the first time in the world at the Korean auto exhibition.
As an upgraded version of the Ioniq 6 launched in September 2022, the new EV inherited the automaker’s design concept of “Electrified Streamliner” while revising curves and proportions to wear a slicker silhouette under the advanced design concept of “Pure Flow, Refined.”
Hyundai Motor presented the Insteroid, a game-inspired project model based on the small EV Casper, which is sold under the name of Inster in overseas markets, at this year’s Seoul Mobility Show. In total, Hyundai has rolled out 10 models for display at the auto event.
Kia showcased the PV5, a mid-sized platform beyond vehicle, or PBV, developed to be utilized for various purposes such as mobility services, logistics and leisure activities, for the first time in Korea.
Announcing a collaboration with LG Electronics, Kia also presented two concept vehicles of the PV5 Spielraum, a name that means "play room" in the German language.
The automaker said the PBV combined with LG’s cutting-edge home appliances such as a refrigerator, an oven, a wine cellar and a steam closet, is designed to offer unprecedented on-vehicle experiences that can serve as an office, a studio and a lounge.
Kia also held a world premiere of the Tasman Weekender, a special concept model of the brand’s first pickup truck Tasman. The Tasman Weekender features a stronger presence for more extreme outdoor activities on all types of terrain with 35-inch tires, overfenders and multirails.
Asked about potential changes to Kia’s manufacturing plant in Mexico in light of Trump’s new tariffs, Kia CEO Song Ho-sung said there are no plans to hike the prices of Kia cars in the US and it is too early to discuss any plans at the moment.
“It’s our homework to figure out how to deal with (Trump’s tariffs), and Kia’s strong point is that it's in our nature to flexibly and quickly respond, so we are going to look into how to overcome this well,” said Song.
The Kia CEO added that the automaker is reviewing options for a pickup truck debut in the US as the Tasman was developed to enter markets outside the US and Europe.
“We are thinking about a mid-sized pickup rather than a large pickup, and also, considering that it would be better to go with (an eco-friendly model) … We don’t have a specific timeframe yet. We would expect it to come around 2028 at the earliest,” he said.
Meanwhile, Genesis revealed a new pair of X Concept cars -- the X Gran Coupe and X Gran Convertible -- based on its flagship G90 luxury sedan for the first time in the world as it commemorated the 10th anniversary of the premium brand’s establishment.
Unlike the previous X Concept models, it seemed the latest X Concept cars could soon be in line for mass production as most of their features were similar to the existing G90 model.
Displaying a small-scale model of the GMR-001 Hypercar, a prototype high-performance car, Genesis reemphasized its plan to compete in international endurance races starting with the World Endurance Championship this year and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year to follow through on the brand’s commitment to enhancing its motorsports capabilities.
hwkan@heraldcorp.com
