Hyundai climbs global brand ranking

Hyundai Motor Company has climbed to No. 29 in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2026 ranking as its estimated brand value reached USD 25 billion.

The South Korean automaker rose two places to fourth among automotive brands, up from sixth in 2025. Its brand value increased 2 percent and has now grown for 17 consecutive years.

Hyundai President and CEO José Muñoz credited customers, employees and dealer partners for the gains, while pointing to software-defined vehicles and physical artificial intelligence as technologies the company is developing for future products and operations.

The ranking comes during a year in which Hyundai has collected major awards for several vehicles.

The all-new Palisade was named 2026 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year in January, while the IONIQ 9 was recognized as the World’s Best Large SUV at the 2026 Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year Awards.

The IONIQ 9 also received the 2026 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+ award for US models and Euro NCAP’s highest safety rating.

Hyundai’s electrified lineup has also contributed to its global business. The company sold 961,812 electrified vehicles worldwide in 2025, 27 percent more than a year earlier. The total included 275,669 battery-electric vehicles and 634,990 hybrids.

Electrified vehicle sales reached 242,612 units in the first quarter of 2026, up 14.2 percent year on year. They accounted for 24.9 percent of Hyundai’s global sales during the quarter, while hybrids represented 17.8 percent.

The Tucson Hybrid has been one of the contributors to that growth. Hyundai has since introduced an all-new Tucson fitted with its next-generation hybrid system.

Outside its vehicle lineup, Hyundai Motor Group is investing more heavily in robotics and physical AI.

The group presented its human-centered AI robotics strategy in January and in September showed training work involving Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot at the Robotics Metaplant Application Center.

Atlas is being prepared for deployment at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America beginning in 2028. It was also named Best Robot in CNET Group’s Best of CES 2026.

Hyundai is working with NVIDIA on physical AI applications for manufacturing, while Motional began an IONIQ 5 robotaxi pilot service in Las Vegas in March as part of work toward Level 4 autonomous mobility.

Software-defined vehicles are another part of Hyundai Motor Group’s technology program. Its Pleos software brand was introduced in 2025, followed this year by the production version of Pleos Connect.

The system was first installed in The New Grandeur in Korea in May and is scheduled for a phased rollout in other markets. Hyundai Motor Group plans to have Pleos Connect in about 20 million vehicles by 2030.

Hyundai has also used global sports and cultural programs to support its brand presence.

The company served as an official partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026, continuing a relationship with FIFA that began in 1999. It supplied what it described as its largest fleet of official tournament vehicles and ran its “Next Starts Now” World Cup campaign.

Its “Coquí Alarmed” campaign won the Grand Prix in the Audio & Radio category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June, giving Hyundai a second consecutive Grand Prix after “Night Fishing” won in 2025.

Interbrand bases its annual Best Global Brands valuation on a company’s financial performance, the role its brand plays in purchasing decisions and its ability to build long-term customer loyalty.

Jihun Moon, global managing partner of Interbrand Group, said Hyundai’s work in robotics and electrification has helped strengthen the company’s brand distinctiveness and trust.