This project includes seating solutions for three Hyundai and KIA models, which are scheduled to go on sale in Europe and the United States starting in 2027. This is the first time FORVIA will be working with Hyundai-Kia to supply seating comfort solutions for vehicles that will be produced and sold outside the Korean market. Following a thorough evaluation of the performance of products currently on the market, Hyundai-Kia selected a compact four-way adjustable pneumatic lumbar support system, designed and manufactured by FORVIA. 

Alongside this breakthrough, FORVIA has also extended its cooperation with Hyundai-Kia for the supply of seat frames and mechanisms. By doing so, FORVIA will bolster operations at its Yeongcheon plant.

Stéphane Noël, Executive Vice President of FORVIA Seating, said: "Our expertise in automotive comfort has enabled us to strengthen and expand our long-standing partnership with Hyundai-Kia. This fully embodies our ambition to develop our collaboration with Korean manufacturers across all the markets they serve and illustrates our ability to support many Asian automakers in their international expansion." 

A longstanding relationship with Hyundai-Kia

FORVIA has been a trusted partner of Hyundai-Kia for many years—both in South Korea and across its export markets. The partnership began in 2002 with the creation of a joint venture alongside Daeki Industries to supply Hyundai plants in China, India, and the United States with exhaust systems. FORVIA acquired full ownership of the JV in 2005 and began supplying Kia plants in Slovakia and Mexico. In 2016, the collaboration deepened further with the start of seat frame deliveries to Hyundai-Kia. Currently, around 2.8 million Hyundai-Kia vehicles equipped with FORVIA technology are sold in South Korea each year, and a total of 4.6 million are sold globally. 

FORVIA’s strategic footprint in South Korea and beyond

FORVIA currently operates four plants in South Korea—two in Hwaseong and two in Yeongcheon—as well as an R&D center and some sales locations, supporting its Clean Mobility, Electronics, and Seating businesses. With more than 800 employees in South Korea, FORVIA is a major player in the Korean automotive sector, focused on enabling the global expansion of Hyundai-Kia and other local OEMs. In 2024, the Group recorded sales of 500 million euros in South Korea.