Export of 500 Palisades to Democratic Republic of Congo... Hyundai Motor "Signal for New Market Expansion"

Presidential Office, Official Vehicles for Key Public Officials
Selected Over Japan's Toyota with Land Cruiser

The Hyundai large SUV Palisade, exported to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is waiting for shipment at Pyeongtaek Port.

Photo by Hyundai Motor Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Motor Company has begun pioneering a new market in Africa by supplying 500 large sport utility vehicles (SUVs) Palisade to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hyundai Motor announced on the 16th that it recently shipped the first batch of 250 Palisades out of the 500 units exported from Pyeongtaek Port to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The second shipment of the remaining 250 units is scheduled for the end of this month.

This Palisade supply marks Hyundai Motor's first large-scale contract with the government of a Central African country. It is five times the export target of 100 units Hyundai set for the Democratic Republic of the Congo earlier this year, and eleven times last year's sales performance (45 units).

This Palisade export was finalized after Hyundai Motor won a supply contract for a total of 500 units in a bid held by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in March this year to provide vehicles for the presidential office and key public officials.

In this bid, Hyundai Motor was selected as the final contractor over Toyota, which promoted the Land Cruiser, by not only offering the Palisade's high product value such as spacious and comfortable interior, various safety and convenience features, and stable driving performance with four-wheel drive, but also by establishing a dedicated after-service organization for government supply vehicles and extending the warranty period, thereby gaining recognition for its service competitiveness.

The African region's automobile market is still immature in terms of private sector leadership, so sales mainly target governments with purchasing power. Hyundai Motor expects this export to be a signal for actively pioneering new markets in Central Africa.

In particular, since this is a large-scale export achieved in the African market where Japanese brands such as Toyota have been dominant, it is expected to serve as an opportunity to raise Hyundai Motor's brand awareness.

Jung Bang-seon, Head of Hyundai Motor's Asia, Middle East, and Africa Division, said, "The large-scale Palisade export to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a successful case of targeting a core demand segment with strong purchasing power by finding new opportunities in the Central African market," adding, "We will actively pursue pioneering new markets in Africa by securing additional demand within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and expanding sales to neighboring countries."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor has been focusing on targeting the African and Middle Eastern markets, such as exporting the hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo and hydrogen electric bus Elec City FCEV to Saudi Arabia in September last year.