“The groundbreaking Santa Cruz joining the Tucson on Hyundai’s Alabama assembly lines represents another exciting milestone for the automaker in our state.”

The crossover will become the second new model to be added to the assembly lines there this year, with production of the Tucson SUV beginning earlier this spring.

The moves come during a period of growth for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing of Alabama, which in 2019 announced a $410 million expansion to prepare for mass production of the Santa Cruz, a project that is creating 200 jobs.

“The introduction of the all-new Santa Cruz and the Tucson SUV to Hyundai’s Montgomery manufacturing operation underscores the company’s long-term commitment to producing top-quality vehicles in Alabama,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“The groundbreaking Santa Cruz joining the Tucson on Hyundai’s Alabama assembly lines represents another exciting milestone for the automaker in our state,” he added.

Along with the new models, HMMA continues to produce the Elantra and Sonata sedans and the Santa Fe SUV.

HMMA, which launched vehicle production in May 2005, is the Montgomery region’s largest private manufacturer with more than 3,000 team members. Since it opened, the Alabama plant has produced around 5 million vehicles for the North American market, along with more than 6 million engines.

INDUSTRY GROWTH

Across the state, automakers are in the midst of major new construction and expansions, including the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville and the electric vehicle manufacturing operation for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Tuscaloosa and Bibb counties.

Mercedes will begin producing EV sport utilities in Alabama next year, after debuting an electric version of its flagship sedan, the EQS, with a livestream event today from Germany.

The Alabama Department of Commerce estimates the state’s auto industry will add more than 6,000 jobs in coming months, as recent years’ project announcements materialize. Last year alone, new and expanding auto industry projects topped 2,600 jobs and $1.6 billion in capital investment, based on Commerce data.

Production lineups are also expanding. In 2021, Alabama’s auto plants will produce a mix of 15 different models, up from 11 last year.

Industry activity stretches beyond the major automaker projects into surrounding areas as large supplier networks take shape. Such projects launched in 2020 accounted for more than 2,000 job commitments and around $700 million in investment of the auto industry totals, based on public announcements.