English translation of the original Korean report. Images and source documents may contain Korean text.

Claims of ‘North American Design Change and Domestic 2028 Model Year Application’ Emerge Online… Hyundai Motor Company’s Internal Policy Status Unconfirmed

While Hyundai Motor Company’s (CEO Jose Muñoz) 8th-generation new Avante (CN8) faces criticism that its narrow driver’s footwell may interfere with brake pedal operation, a claim has emerged online that the relevant design will be changed starting with vehicles sold in North America and applied to domestic models from the 2028 model year.

However, it has not been confirmed whether this content is an actual internal policy of Hyundai Motor Company, and the company’s official position on the brake pedal interference controversy has still not been disclosed.

According to Blind, an anonymous online community for office workers, on the 7th, a post titled ‘Internal Chat Message Received Regarding New Avante Defect’ was uploaded. The author stated that it was a message received from elsewhere and introduced content stating that while Hyundai Motor Company does not currently consider the driver’s footwell issue a serious matter, it is changing the design of that space for North American sales models. The post also included the claim that it would be applied to improved models in North America and to domestic models from ’28MY’.

However, it has not been confirmed whether the content of that post was actually disseminated internally within Hyundai Motor Company. While ’28MY’ appearing in the post generally refers to the 2028 model year, no official data has been confirmed that would suggest a confirmed design change plan or application timeline for domestic and international markets. It is not possible to conclude that Hyundai Motor Company has recognized the problem or decided on improvements based solely on the online post.

■ From Brake Pedal Interference Controversy to Design Change Rumors… No Official Explanation from Hyundai Motor Company

This controversy began on the 2nd with a test drive video of the new Avante released by an automotive specialized YouTube channel. In the video, a scene appeared where the driver’s shoe caught on the cover above the pedal while moving their foot from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal.

The presenter pointed out, “There are times when it gets caught and I can’t press the brake,” and also revealed scenes comparing it with other vehicles. The possibility of it being related to the structure where the driver’s knee airbag is located was raised, but the exact cause and its impact on actual driving safety have not been confirmed.

Overseas, reports related to the launch of the Elantra, the North American sales model of the new Avante, are continuing. The American automotive specialized media Car and Driver reported on June 26 that the new Avante, unveiled in Korea, is scheduled to be sold as the Elantra in North America. However, no official announcement of a change in the design around the brake pedal or a different application timeline for improvements in North American and domestic vehicles can be found in overseas reports and Hyundai Motor Company’s public data confirmed to date.

The key issue is whether the phenomenon of the driver’s foot catching on the structure above the brake pedal affects actual driving safety, and how Hyundai Motor Company is evaluating this.

In particular, if the design change rumors raised online are true, the safety review and potential improvement measures for domestic vehicles already delivered could also become controversial. However, it cannot be concluded that legal or technical defects have been proven solely by the publicly available video. As of the 7th, Hyundai Motor Company has not disclosed an official position regarding the brake pedal interference allegations and the internal response rumors that have appeared online.