Hyundai launches Lafesta compact in China

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker by sales, said Friday it has unveiled the Lafesta, a compact sedan built exclusively for Chinese customers, to expand it presence in the world's largest automobile market.

The sporty compact -- which is similar to the Avante in size -- comes with a 1.6-liter Turbo-GDi engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, Hyundai Motor said in a statement.

The Lafesta is equipped with a host of safety features, such as lane departure warning, blind spot detection and a forward collision warning system, it said.

The model is priced at between 119,800 yuan (US$17,000) and 154,800 yuan, depending on options.

The maker of the Sonata sedan and the Santa Fe SUV has been struggling with lackluster sales in China after being hit hard in 2017 due to a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile defense system in South Korea.

Hyundai has five plants in China, which have a combined annual capacity of 1.65 million units. Kia Motors Corp., a 34-percent-owned affiliate of Hyundai Motor, has three plants in China, which can churn out 890,000 vehicles.

entropy@yna.co.kr
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