Hyundai Motor Completes 30 Years in India with 13.5 Million Sales

The Korean automobile giant commenced its India operations back in 1996 and the first car to be launched was the iconic Santro in 1998

Hyundai Motor celebrates its glorious 30 years in India, along with over 13.5 million (1.35 Crore) cars sold since 1998. Despite stiff competition and so many new carmakers in the country today, Hyundai retains the second spot on the list of the largest carmakers in India. That speaks volumes to the kind of work the brand has done. It has understood the mentality of car buyers, taken feedback and offered them exactly what they wanted. Furthermore, it has targeted just about every major mass market segment. Hence, it sells cars in all shapes and sizes. For now, let us take a look at the exact lineup of cars it has sold since its inception.

Hyundai Completes 30 Years in India

During this 30-year-long period, Hyundai Motor ended up investing a whopping Rs 40,700 Crore in India and it plans to invest another Rs 45,000 Crore in its roadmap to drive manufacturing, electrification, future mobility and new products by FY2030. Additionally, the production capacity will be increased to 10.74 lakh units annually by 2028. Out of a total sales of 13.5 million (1.35 Crore), 9.6 million (96 lakh) are in India, while 3.9 million (39 lakh) cars have been exported to over 150 countries. Finally, Hyundai currently has 1,675 service touchpoints across 1,025 cities in our country with 50,000+ trained service professionals. Interestingly, all of its offices and plans are powered by 100% Renewable Energy.

Hyundai Models Sold Since 1998

As mentioned previously, the Korean car marque commenced its operations in 1996 and the first vehicle to roll off the production line was the Santro in 1998. In the following year, we got the Accent sedan. Then we experienced the Sonata premium sedan in 2001 and the Elantra in 2004. In 2003, Hyundai launched the Santro Xing with a 1.1-litre engine and the prominent Verna made it to our shores in 2006. As a premium alternative to the Santro, there was the i10 in 2007. Intriguingly, Hyundai created a new market segment of premium hatchbacks with the i20 in 2008. Among the premium offerings were Tucson in 2005 and Santa Fe in 2010. Then we had the facelifts of Verna and i20, but the next big product came in 2015 in the form of Creta.

It still remains the most successful mid-size SUV in the country. The Verna and Santro got facelifts again in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In 2019, the compact SUV segment was shaken up by the Venue. Just like the Creta, the Venue has been among the top-selling cars in its class ever since. The new i20 was launched in 2020 with a striking design. The Creta and Verna were updated thoroughly in 2020 and 2023, respectively. Then we saw the Alcazar (essentially 7-seater Creta) in India in 2021. A new product which graced our market in 2023 was the Exter. We got the current iteration of the Hyundai Creta in 2024 and that of the Venue in 2025.

Let us not forget the famed Ioniq 5 electric crossover, which has been on sale in India since 2023. As one can see, Hyundai has catered to customers from all backgrounds and the future seems to be heading in the exact same direction. In this manner, Hyundai consistently kept launching new products to address a new side of the market and kept gaining new consumers. Among its main strengths, the buyers always appreciated its feature-laden models regardless of the kind of segment it operates in. In fact, in each segment, Hyundai’s cars are among the most feature-rich. Also, today, it is one of the few carmakers still selling diesel cars in large volumes. In last few years, the strict emission norms have led to car companies eliminating diesel engines from their portfolios entirely. Also, Hyundai is working proactively to transition into the electric mobility era.

Editor’s Note

Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor

Having witnessed Hyundai’s journey in India right from the Santro era, I believe its success story is built on a deep understanding of evolving customer preferences. The brand has consistently introduced products that balanced design, features, reliability and value at the right time for the Indian market. What stands out to me is Hyundai’s ability to adapt quickly, whether it was creating the premium hatchback space with the i20 or dominating the SUV segment with the Creta and Venue. In my view, completing 30 years with such strong sales numbers is not just about scale, but about maintaining long-term relevance in one of the world’s most competitive automotive markets.

Also Read: Next-Gen Hyundai i20 Spied Inside Out – All Details!