Where other brands have slipped out of the gate since the COVID-19 pandemic and faced the headwinds of betting too much on the public’s desire for battery-electric vehicles, Hyundai’s U.S. arm is thriving.

HEVs are hybrids, while PHEVs are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. N is the company’s brand name for its performance-focused models.

“One of the biggest things we’ve done is invest the discipline and detail to enable management based on market conditions. And this group is very good at doing detailed management.” she said.

Jose Muñoz, Hyundai’s new global CEO and former head of HMNA, led the charge, she pointed out, saying he led efforts to make the company’s supply chain, manufacturing, products and sales strategies agile. Parker was appointed CEO of HMA in 2022, having previously been the company’s head of sales.

For the 2025 model year, the company is not resting on its laurels. The Ioniq 5 N sport-oriented high-lift hatchback and the battery-electric Ioniq 9 three-row sport utility vehicle (SUV) debuted. The Ioniq 5 truck and Santa Cruz received some upgrades, while the Tucson small SUV received a facelift.

“Our product strategy and our line-up has been a commitment to the future of electrification. But we’ve always known that there will be demand for new battery electric vehicles and that there will be an early majority transition, so we’ve made sure we’re ready with a variety of powertrain options to accommodated the early transition of the majority to battery electric vehicles.” she said, explaining that affordability doesn’t matter as much to early adopters as it does to another group of buyers, a group called the “morning majority,” which makes up 34 percent of the public.

Hyundai and its sister brand Kia are known for offering customers a choice of powertrains, a move that allows them to embrace electrification at their own pace while staying within the brand’s familiar boundaries.

“In terms of affordability, Hyundai has the Venue, Kona and Elantra, all starting under $25,000, which attracts younger customers, people who would otherwise buy used, and many consumers who feel squeezed by inflation and interest rates and who don’t want huge monthly payments Looking at our data, the largest annual increase in new vehicle sales comes from the $20,000-$30,000 range to serve buyers in this price range,” he said.