Articles by Tom White

Hyundai has officially moved to a seven year and unlimited kilometre warranty.The Korean brand was the first in Australia to move to a five year warranty in 1999, although is later to the party with the seven-year offering, which its Kia sister company was first to back in 2014.Hyundai’s new seven year promise isn’t unconditional. It adds to the existing five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty only as long as the car continues to be serviced inside the brand’s authorised dealer network on time.For those who recently bought a Hyundai, this new policy is backdated to the first of June 2025. If the warranty is extended it also extends the owner’s subscription to the over-the-air Bluelink service to the length of the warranty.Commercial vehicles and  passenger vehicles, which are used for commercial applications are excluded, with commercial vehicles like the Staria Load retaining a five-year and 160,000km warranty.If passenger cars are serviced outside Hyundai’s dealer network, they retain the standard five year and unlimited kilometre warranty.High voltage components in electric cars continue unchanged, with eight years and 160,000 kilometres of coverage.The warranty wars are well and truly back on in Australia, as new Chinese players aim to overcome question marks about their longevity with long warranty promises. While some of Australia’s favourite automakers extend their warranties to keep up.Chery, GWM and JAC offer seven year warranties, joining Kia, Skoda and SsangYong. Mitsubishi, Nissan and MG offer conditional 10-year warranties, which also require servicing inside their respective dealer networks. Chery’s premium arm, Jaecoo, offers eight years and unlimited kilometres of warranty, just to name a few shaking up this space.The brand’s Chief Executive Officer in Australia, Don Romano said: “As the first automotive brand in Australia to offer a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, we recognise the strategic importance of competitive warranty coverage."“Over the past few months, we have worked closely with our National Dealer Council to develop a compelling and highly attractive warranty package that provides further peace of mind for our owners.”Hyundai will look to defend its top-five position in the Australian market in the coming years, as rivals, new and old, put the pressure on.For now, things are looking up for the Korean favourite, with its sales up 14.3 per cent year on year off the back of a strong performance by its core offerings, the Kona small SUV (up 26.2 per cent), Tucson mid-sizer (up 9.9 per cent), and radically restyled new-generation Santa Fe (up 22.5 per cent). Bolstering the brand later this year will be the arrival of the next-generation Palisade large SUV.

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