Aksam – Hyundai’s first new i20 Active has rolled off the production line in Izmit, northwestern Türkiye. Designed as a compact crossover, this latest variant of the South Korean manufacturer’s popular B-class hatchback will raise the Izmit plant’s output to 226,000 vehicles per year.
Hyundai relies on its Turkish plant, currently producing the i10 and i20 hatchbacks, to meet light-segment vehicle demand in Europe. The first batch of i20 Actives will be shipped to Germany followed by 1,000 more to other markets in Europe by the end of the year. The i20 Active will reach Turkish dealers in early 2016.
Established as a joint venture with Turkish Kibar Group, the Hyundai Assan plant in Izmit is the company’s longest-operating overseas facility and has received EUR 1 billion of investments to date. The company plans to export more than 200,000 vehicles in 2015, almost 90 percent of its production in Türkiye.
Home to the manufacturing plants of global brands such as Fiat, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Renault, and Hyundai, Türkiye is a major manufacturer of motor vehicles in Europe, with more than 1 million vehicles produced annually.