(C) Asahi.com

Hyundai Motor Company announced today a significant update to its "Hyundai EV Burden Down" promotion, aggressively lowering interest rates to stimulate demand in the electric vehicle (EV) market. This move follows a similar strategy by Kia Corp. just a day earlier, signaling a full-scale price and financing war among major automakers to capture EV market share.

Drastic Interest Rate Cuts
According to the announcement, Hyundai has slashed the standard mobility installment rate for its primary EV lineup from 5.4% to 2.8%. This 2.6 percentage point reduction applies to the company’s flagship electric models: the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and the Kona Electric.

The promotion utilizes a 36-month deferred payment structure. Under this plan, the vehicle's residual value (resale price) is guaranteed, allowing customers to defer a portion of the principal until the end of the term. At that point, they can either pay the remainder or simply return the vehicle to clear the balance.

Significant Monthly Savings
The impact on consumer wallets is immediate. For the IONIQ 5 Standard model, monthly payments will drop from 360,000 won to 310,000 won. The IONIQ 6 sees an even steeper decline, with payments falling from 330,000 won to 260,000 won, bringing the entry cost into the 200,000 won range.

Hyundai estimates that the interest rate reduction alone will save customers approximately 2.5 million won for the IONIQ 5 and 6, and 2.1 million won for the Kona Electric over the duration of the installment period.

Total Combined Benefits
When combining the interest savings with other available incentives—such as trade-in bonuses, early-bird discounts, and inventory-specific price cuts—the total benefits for consumers reach substantial figures:

IONIQ 6: Up to 6.5 million won in total benefits.
Kona Electric: Up to 6.1 million won in total benefits.
IONIQ 5: Up to 5.5 million won in total benefits.

Industry Context
This promotional blitz is viewed by industry analysts as a strategic response to a cooling EV market and intensifying global competition. Just yesterday, Kia Corp. announced price reductions of up to 3 million won for its EV6 and EV5 Long Range models, paired with 0% interest financing options. By lowering the "barrier to entry" through financing rather than just MSRP cuts, Hyundai aims to secure long-term customers through flexible return and upgrade cycles.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]