Hyundai chair visits Beijing show
- Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun visited Auto China 2026 in Beijing on April 29, his first appearance there since 2018. - The visit landed days after Hyundai unveiled the China-only IONIQ V and a five-year plan to launch 20 models there. - It matters because Hyundai is rebuilding in a market it once dominated less — while Chinese EV makers now set the pace.
Hyundai’s China problem is simple to describe and hard to fix. The company used to be a major player there. Then sales collapsed, factories were sold or shut, and local brands sprinted ahead in electric cars and software. So when Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun showed up at Auto China 2026 in Beijing on April 29, it wasn’t just a ceremonial walk-through — it looked like a signal that Hyundai’s top leadership is treating China as urgent again. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) ### Why does this visit matter? Because Chung had not attended the Beijing show since 2018, and Hyundai rarely sends its top decision-maker into a market unless something importa(koreajoongangdaily.joins.com)r market. (en.sedaily.com) ### What changed just before the visit? Hyundai used the show on April 24 to launch a much more explicit China plan. It unveiled the IONIQ V, described as the first dedicated IONIQ production model for China, and said it would push an “In China, For China, To Global” strategy. (en.sedaily.com)EVs — extended-range electric vehicles, basically EVs with a gas engine acting as a backup generator. (hyundai.com) ### Why is China the hard version of the challenge? Because China is no longer just a big market. It is where the EV race is moving fastest on price, battery tech, cabin software, and driver-assi(hyundai.com)d innovation — which is another way of saying the company can’t afford to treat the country as a side market anymore. (hyundai.com) ### How far did Hyundai fall? Pretty far. Hyundai once operated six plants in China. Now it runs three — two in Beijing and one in Sichuan — after selling or shutting the others as sales weakened. That makes the comeback story more concrete. This is not a company defending a strong position. It is trying to rebuild after a long retreat. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) ### So is this just about one new car? No — the IONIQ V is more like the opening move. The real point is localization. Hyundai is saying it will build products tailored to Chines(koreajoongangdaily.joins.com)exporter and more like a domestic competitor with foreign engineering depth. (hyundai.com) ### What was Chung likely looking at on the ground? The obvious answer is Chinese EV execution — how quickly local brands are iterating on design, pricing, software, and supply chains. Reports ar(hyundai.com)e benchmark up close. (newsianbiz.com) ### Does this guarantee a comeback? Not even close. China is brutally competitive, and many foreign brands are still struggling there. But Hyundai is at least doing the necessary first thing — admitting that the old playbook is over and putting senior leadership behind a more local EV strategy. (hyundai.com)ommitment-at-auto-china-2026%252C-unveils-ioniq-v-as-first-step-in-new-product-offensive-0000001164)) ### Bottom line? Chung’s Beijing visit mattered because it made Hyundai’s China reset visible. The company is no longer hinting at a return — it is showing up, localizing products, and trying to learn from the market that now defines the global EV fight. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com)
