Hyundai Philippines sales jump 32% in 2024, peak in December
2024 was a record-setting year for the Philippine car industry.
A joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association reported 467,252 units sold last year, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year. CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said this all-time-high figure is expected to grow in the Year of the Wood Snake.
And among the big winners is Hyundai Motor Philippines Inc.(HMPH), which came eighth in the list of CAMPI’s top 10 automakers for 2024. The South Korean company sold 12,023 units last year, a 32-percent spike from 2023, with the holiday rush last December netting its highest monthly sales at 1,257 units.
The carmaker added that its five top-selling models included the Stargazer and Stargazer X multi-purpose vehicles or MPV(6,068 units), the Staria van (1,623 units), the H-100 light commercial vehicle (1,212 units), the Custin MPV (1,206 units) and the Santa Fe three-row crossover (756 units).
This is all the more impressive, given that HMPH was only officially inaugurated last June 2022. We take a look back at the carmaker’s various achievements that contributed to its huge success in 2024.
‘N-tense’ performance
Perhaps HMPH’s most memorable launches last year were the IONIQ 5 N high-performance electric vehicle (EV) and the Elantra N high-performance, which both sent shockwaves at the 2024 Manila International Auto Show.
The IONIQ 5 N is powered by an 84-kWh battery pack mated to electric motors on the front and rear axles for a combined output of 641 horsepower and 770 Newton-meters of torque with its N Grin Boost mode engaged. With all this punch coursed through all four wheels, HMPH claims a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h.
Helping reign in the IONIQ 5 N’s lightning-fast performance areelectronically controlled suspension, an electronic limited-slip differential and a high-performance braking system with 400-millimeter discs and 4-piston calipers up front and 360-millimeter rotors at the back.
Meanwhile, the Elantra N packs a turbocharged 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine pumping out out 276 horsepower and 392 Newton-meters of torque. It is only available with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.
This rapid four-door comes likewise standard with an electronic limited-slip differential, electronically adjustable dampers and a reinforced chassis. All these help the Elantra N do 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
Showbiz glamor
Even though it has models called Stargazer and Staria, it certainly doesn’t hurt HMPH to have added star power.
That’s why the carmaker brought in four celebrity endorsers last March 2024 to raise its profile – they include legendary actor Piolo Pascual, who took home the Best Actor award at the 2024 Manila International Film Festival in Los Angeles for his role in the horror flick Mallari.
Joining the veteran leading man is heartthrob Paulo Avelino, who cemented his reputation in the big screen as Gregorio delPilar in the 2015 film Heneral Luna and its 2018 sequel, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.
And in a case of life imitating art, first-ever Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition champion Kim Chiu was also brought in by HMPH. She stars opposite Avelino in the local adaptation of popular K-drama What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim.
Finally, “Popsters” were delighted to hear that Sarah Geronimo joined the HMPH family. From winning Star for a Night in 2003, the singing sensation has seen a meteoric rise locally and internationally as the first Filipina to receive the “Global Force Award” at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards in Los Angeles.
Return of the ‘Hyun-brids’
Building on its success with the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 EVs, HMPH committed itself further into electrification by launching not one, but two hybrid-electric versions of their popular crossovers last July.
First is the three-row Santa Fe Hybrid, which is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine mated to an electric motor. This pumps out 232 horsepower and 367 Newton-meters of torque, coursed through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Available only in the top Calligraphy trim, this electrified Santa Fe features first-row relaxation comfort seats and second-row captain seats with remote folding function, the latter being accessible through the 12.3-inch panoramic, curved infotainment display.
Meanwhile, the Tucson Hybrid uses the same 1.6-liter turbo-hybrid drivetrain as its larger cousin, making this the most powerful Tucson ever sold locally. Despite the immense power, this five-seat crossover also comes standard with e-Dynamic Driving and Smart Regenerative Braking for optimal fuel-efficiency.
And on top of the traditional driving modes like Eco, Smart and Sport, the Tucson Hybrid has a “Baby” mode that ensures acceleration is more comfortable for young passengers.
The Santa Fe Hybrid and Tucscon Hybrid both have the Hyundai SmartSense active-safety suite that helps make drives safer and more convenient with features like Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping & Following Assist, Side Parking Distance Warning, Smart Cruise Control and a Surround View Monitor.
With more product launches lined up, HMPH looks set to have an even more exciting and prosperous 2025.
