Word on the Street

HYUNDAI Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) announced the Santa Cruz compact utility vehicle will join the Santa Fe SUV and the Sonata and Elantra sedans at Hyundai’s U.S. automotive assembly plant in Montgomery, starting in 2021. The company first introduced the Santa Cruz as a concept at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The plant will require a $410 million expansion to support the addition of the vehicle. This includes additional space in the stamping, welding and parts processing areas of the manufacturing complex.

Direct employment will increase by 200 jobs and local suppliers and logistics companies that support

HMMA are projected to employ an additional 1,000 people in Montgomery and the River Region.

“Bringing the Santa Cruz to HMMA demonstrates that Hyundai Motor Company is confident our more than 3,000 team members are ready to build a quality crossover for the U.S. market,” says Byungjin Jin, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.

The Santa Cruz is for those who want all the traditional attributes of a compact utility vehicle but need the day-to-day versatility of an open bed. It’s the crossover that creates a whole new segment that successfully combines capability and utility to meet the unspoken needs of a new generation of buyers, especially Millennials.

“Alabama and Hyundai have developed a great partnership over the years, and it’s a testament to our special relationship that this world-class automaker is expanding once again in Montgomery,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “Hyundai’s new investment is giving more Alabama families an opportunity to earn a good living while also strengthening the state’s growing auto industry.”