PRNewswire
Offenbach [Germany], September 7: Hyundai Motor Company today announced a multi-year agreement as the Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League. The partnership marks the company's commitment to European club football at its highest level. It begins with the 2026/27 season, running to the end of the 2030/31 season. Hyundai Motor Company becomes Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League in a multi-year partnership, beginning with the 2026/27 season. The competition sets the benchmark for European club football by bringing together the best in the game, a standard Hyundai measures itself against in its own field. Designed in Europe for European customers, IONIQ 3 is the first of five major models Hyundai will launch in Europe during the 2026/27 season and the first to represent the brand in the partnership.
Football is familiar ground. For almost 30 years Hyundai has supported the game at its highest levels, from the largest international tournaments to clubs and associations around the world. The UEFA Champions League extends that commitment to the pinnacle of European club football.
The parallels between the UEFA Champions League and Hyundai run deeper than scale: squads in this competition draw talent from every corner of the globe and compete at the highest level in Europe. Hyundai leverages the strengths of its global scale while designing, engineering and building vehicles in Europe, selling across the continent. Two organisations, unambiguously European in operation and international in influence.
"Football has been part of Hyundai for almost 30 years. It brings people together like almost nothing else, across languages and borders and generations," said José Muñoz, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai Motor Company. "The UEFA Champions League is the best club football in the world, played every week in front of the most passionate fans in Europe. Following Hyundai's engagement at the World Cup this summer, the UEFA Champions League is an ideal platform to show our beautifully designed vehicles with features fans love. I am from Madrid, so I have watched this competition my whole life. I'm personally excited about engaging with fans across Europe. It's a great time to celebrate the beautiful game with Hyundai."
Under its brand vision of 'Progress for Humanity', Hyundai is committed to expanding opportunities and contributing towards a more inclusive future for society. Through this partnership with UC3, UEFA's joint venture with European Football Clubs, engagement with the UEFA Champions League and Hyundai's mobility offerings, the company aims to bring people together across cultures and communities throughout Europe, uniting millions of football fans while delivering a positive impact for society.
"The UEFA Champions League and Hyundai are both driven by progress, performance, and the ambition to bring people together," said Xavier Martinet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor Europe. "We are entering this partnership with our strongest line-up yet. IONIQ 3 is the first of five new models we are launching in Europe this season, designed and developed for our customers here in the region, and it is the car that leads our lineup for the future."
The UEFA Champions League is the world's most-watched annual club football competition with around one in three people being interested in the Champions League worldwide. The 36-club tournament provides a perfect platform to engage with a huge audience of passionate football fans and highlight Hyundai's future direction, from robotics and physical AI, to software and smart mobility solutions tailored for European customers.
Hyundai is a global brand with a strong footprint in Europe, built over more than 30 years. Its European Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, develops and engineers its vehicles, while its European Design Centre at the same site shapes their visual look and identity. Production takes place at plants in the Czech Republic and Türkiye, with Hyundai vehicles reaching customers across 42 European markets through more than 2,000 sales and aftersales outlets. Hyundai's design, engineering, manufacturing and partner network supports customers and fans every day.
The IONIQ 3: Hyundai's entry on the pitch
The all-electric IONIQ 3, designed in Europe for European customers, is Hyundai's opening statement in the partnership. The compact hatchback made its debut at Milan Design Week earlier this year and became the first battery-electric vehicle to enter production at Hyundai's İzmit plant when manufacturing commenced in August. It is the first of five major new models Hyundai brings to Europe in the 2026/27 season.
With the IONIQ 3, Hyundai enters the compact class, Europe's most contested segment, with class-leading capability to deliver on European customers' needs. IONIQ 3's Aero Hatch typology has been created to deliver class-leading efficiency and range, with a drag coefficient of 0.263 Cd and up to 497 km of range (WLTP). With 441 liters of trunk volume, best-in-class interior space, a segment-leading 14.6-inch display featuring Hyundai's latest PLEOS Connect infotainment system, and strong value, IONIQ 3 represents Hyundai's commitment to making electrified mobility accessible to its European customers.
The IONIQ 3 sits within a line-up that offers customers a genuine choice across the full powertrain spectrum, thanks to Hyundai's flexible strategy: battery-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel-cell electric and internal combustion. The range is structured around how people own and use their vehicles, delivering flexibility.
IONIQ 3 builds on Hyundai's EV recognition in Europe, following significant awards that reflect the breadth of the company's commitment to electrified mobility. The Hyundai INSTER was named 2025 World Electric Vehicle, while the IONIQ 9 was named Germany's 2026 Premium Car of the Year. This customer-centric focus frames Hyundai's newly announced partnership as the UEFA Champions League's Official Automotive Partner.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-Managing Director, UC3: "We are delighted to welcome Hyundai as an official partner of the UEFA Champions League. Hyundai has a proud history of supporting football at the highest level and a clear belief in its power to bring people together. We look forward to building a partnership that brings that shared ambition to life for fans around the world over the coming years."
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