Hyundai's Staria minivans accompany Kim Jong-un in Russia

author: FutureCar Staff    

During North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia, Hyundai Motor's Staria minivans were seen serving as security cars. The vehicles were featured in a 90-minute documentary titled "An Incident that Led to a New Milestone for the Development of North Korea-Russia Relations," which was broadcasted on Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central Television. The footage showed four Starias with Hyundai Motor emblems escorting Kim's Mercedes-Benz as he traveled to Vladivostok after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome spaceport on Sept. 13.

It is believed that the Russian government provided the security vehicles, as they had Russian license plates. This is a rare occurrence, as North Korean broadcasters typically edit or blur out symbols of South Korean companies. For example, during the airing of last year's Qatar World Cup, Korean Central Television edited out Hyundai Motor advertisements that surrounded the football pitch.

The Staria minivan, introduced in 2021, features a futuristic design and spacious interior. It is Hyundai's first minivan in 22 years since the Trajet XG. Prior to the war in Ukraine, Hyundai was the top automaker in Russia. Its Saint-Petersburg plant produced Solaris sedans and Creta SUVs with an annual production capacity of 200,000. However, operations at the plant were paused in March, and Hyundai's Russia subsidiary has since incurred losses of nearly 500 billion won ($373 million) due to the war.

By Sarah Chea [[email protected]]

FutureCar Staff