Hyundai will launch its new European C-segment hatchback at the Geneva motor show next month.
Hyundai’s version of the Slovak-built Kia Ceed, codenamed ‘FD’, will be the first car from the Korean brand designed specifically for Europe.
The car is due to go on sale in the summer.
With the launch of the FD, Hyundai will simultaneously introduce a new alpha-numerical naming strategy for all its future products.
Hyundai Motor UK managing director Tony Whitehorn said: “Geneva marks a significant turning point in the history of Hyundai, which has grown at a phenomenal rate in its relatively brief history to become the world’s sixth largest motor manufacturer.
“The launch of FD, combined with the new naming strategy, the imminent arrival of a 300,000 unit European manufacturing facility and new advanced R&D facilities and European headquarters in Germany, signals Hyundai’s development into a mainstream European manufacturer with serious intentions to provide high quality and affordable cars designed and built specifically to European tastes.”
Hyundai will also show a crossover-SUV concept at Geneva made from advanced materials from GE Plastics that are said to make it more pedestrian impact-friendly.
