Hyundai Motor expects annual global sales of 500,000 of the redesigned Accent.
It said it would start making the new model in Russia and India next year, in addition to its domestic plant at Ulsan and Chinese plants that are already in production. The model was unveiled at a motor show in China earlier this year.
“Through aggressive marketing, we will reignite potential demand for fuel-efficient and high-performance models, particularly among young generations who can afford entry-level cars,” company president Yang Seung-Suk told AFP.
Hyundai said it has invested KRW200bn (US180m) over the past five years to develop the sedan, which will replace the Verna subcompact.
It launched the new Accent in dealerships across South Korea on Tuesday (2 November) and aims to sell 20,000 next year in the domestic market, where the original Accent was first launched.

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By GlobalDataThe firm then plans to start exporting it from its South Korean plant to the United States next March and to other markets in the first half of next year.
Accents produced at factories in China, Russia and India will mainly cater to local demand.