Feb. 20, 2026 | The week’s top stories and Hyundai Canada CEO Steve Flamand

This podcast is brought to you by Reynolds and Reynolds, the industry leader in automotive

technology. Learn how Spark AI, Reynolds Unified AI data layer, can help you unlock your full

potential by visiting rayray.ca slash spark-ai. Hi everyone and welcome to the February 20th,

2026 episode of the Automotive News Canada podcast. I'm your host Greg Lason, the digital and mobile

editor at Automotive News Canada, coming to you from just outside Windsor, Ontario. The Automotive

Capital of Canada. Today on the show we hear from Hyundai Canada CEO Steve Flamon. Steve recently

sat down for a fireside chat with Automotive News Canada publisher Tim Domopoulos at the Automotive

News Canada Congress in Toronto. And we'll hear that conversation soon, but first a look at a

couple of the top Canadian automotive stories of the week. General Motors will spend $63 million

on its Oshawa assembly plant. The money will pay for upgrades to the plant's stamping operations

and related sub-assembly areas. The automaker says workers will stamp quote, major panels for a new

truck. But GM Canada has not confirmed any details on Oshawa's model mix for the truck's next

generation. Oshawa's Uniform Chair Chris Wah calls it quote, positive news for our plant. GM

recently cut a shift at the plant. It moved 50,000 units of production to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Sticking with manufacturing for a moment, Toyota will deploy humanoid robots at a factory in Ontario.

About a half dozen of the AI-powered multi-purpose robots will do repetitive logistics and manufacturing

tasks. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada President Tim Hollander says the robots will increase

operational efficiency. And that's a look at two of the top Canadian automotive stories of the week.

For more, head to our website, automotivenews.ca. Coming up, we hear from Hyundai Canada CEO Steve

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your dealership reach its full potential, visit reyrey.ca.spark.ai today. That's reyrey.ca.spark.ai

to learn more. Welcome back to the Automotive News Canada podcast. I'm your host Greg Lason.

We'll now hear a conversation between Automotive News Canada publisher Tim Domopoulos and Hyundai

Canada CEO Steve Flamande. Joining me today is Steve Flamande, President and CEO of Hyundai Auto

Canada. Welcome Steve. Well thank you Tim. You keep bringing roast beef like this and I'll keep

coming. There you go. I keep bringing encyclopedia questions for you too so get ready. Very good,

let's do it. So Steve, 2025 was an exceptional year for Hyundai from a sales standpoint. It's

part of a streak of records for you. Tell us about the numbers and tell us if this is a sales

streak or is there something fundamentally going on with the brand? Yeah, so the way we run our

business is we're not in the business of buying market share. So we focus on having the best

product portfolio. We already have the best dealer network in the country and never stopping

the relentless pursuit of the best customer experience. And that's translated over the years

in a growth strategy. It's measured but it's consistent. We don't retreat. So it was our

fifth year in a row of record market share. We finished the year at 8.1% all-time record in

sales, same thing for Genesis. And we're also seeing 26 continuing with that momentum. As a

matter of fact, January was also an all-time January record. So we're starting to beat our

all-time record from the previous year so we're in a good place. But the industry is not getting

easier obviously. There's a lot of headwinds and we're going to navigate that and be as agile as

we can be so that we can deliver the results. Like the stick to product. Which products are

driving that success? Like is there anything in particular? And tell us anything about how

consumer preferences are changing. Yeah, it's important to remain true to who we are. We want

to be an accessible brand. Have all the segments covered. And for the most part, we've done that

from an entry-level vehicle like the Venue all the way to an Ioniq 9 at the top of the lineup.

And of course with the Genesis brand on the luxury side of things. So we're maintaining the same

formula. We keep developing the breadth and depth of the portfolio to cover the market even more

effectively. So whether it's at the trim level or powertrain like we saw this morning, the Palisade

winning the utility vehicle of the year award with the introduction of the hybrid. They are very,

very happy, very proud. And by the way, in January we had the number one position in the segment for

the first time of our history. So really happy consumers are appreciating our products and it's

working. So with that kind of sales success, does that give Hyundai Auto Canada a bigger seat at

the table for Hyundai globally when it comes to product allocation or when it comes to just

basically decision making? Yeah, we are a big player. We're the fifth biggest Hyundai market

in the world and we think about big markets like US and Brazil and Korea and India, etc. So it's a

nice place to be. Again, we always focus on representing the market needs the best we can

at the corporate level. We've gathered a lot of credibility over the years. We don't cry

wolf when we don't eat too. So yes, it's resulted in having a good seat at the table.

And for example, when we were struggling with product availability, we were one of the first

markets to be rewarded within the global footprint. So that's resulted again in

feeding this growth strategy. That's probably a lot of late night calls to Korea too.

I know. I wish Korea was at the same time zone and they probably think the same, but yes, for sure.

There you go. Now, with increased volumes and increased sales comes increased scrutiny. So

there's been some public calls about Hyundai and Kia to build cars in this country,

given the sales success you've had. Is that a feasible ask given what's going on from

economic and political standpoint? Listen, Tim, as a Canadian, we don't like to see what's happening

with the pressure getting south of the border. Ontario relies on this industry. It's key. It's

important. It drives the economy. People that don't work don't buy cars. So we see it from that

perspective. So it's natural for the governments to put pressure on OEMs. And by the way,

it's not just Hyundai, but every OEM always look at their manufacturing footprint every year.

From where do we need to be? What capacity do we need? What is the strategic implication of being

in one place or another? So it's no different now. Obviously, there's a lot of stuff in the press.

We'll see where it goes, but I would say there's nothing unusual in terms of us looking at our

manufacturing footprint, but it's convenient in the news. It makes big headlines, but really

nothing to say more about it than this. For sure. Now, speaking of big headlines,

last week we had Canada's new auto strategy that was announced. Mandates are gone,

and the Zeven Sentums are back. So how do you think that changes Hyundai's outlook when it comes to

your complete product portfolio from ICE, hybrids, and EVs?

Again, we're not trying to be too funny. It made big headlines, but no detail. So

we have to see, obviously, moving from a Zev mandate to a very, very stringent greenhouse

gas mandate, which will require a ton of EVs together. But it has pushed the

timing horizon a little bit out. So obviously, we're analyzing what it means.

The auto industry can't just flip within six months. It takes years to develop strategies

and portfolio and so on and so forth. So from a Canadian perspective, we have access to a very

strong global toolbox, if you will. So we're going to be okay. But time will tell when we need more

details. And the same thing with the tariff relief on potential Chinese entry in the market.

It's coming soon with no details in terms of who gets what and how it's going to be done. So

we're standing by and we're going to keep evolving our strategy to make sure we keep

winning in the market. So as an executive, how do you navigate that kind of obscurity coming

from the government? It must be frustrating without being able to get that kind of clear guidance.

Yeah, if we didn't have these up and down, the business would be boring.

So first of all, super strong team. We've got the best team of executives at headquarters

working very, very, very closely with our dealers. In fact, we had a dealer council meeting yesterday

and we put it all on the table. We don't pretend we know it all. We learn from each other and

the key is to pivot as quickly to be agile. And we did this with the tariffs. We're able

to move some production from the US to Mexico and Korea. So we were able to react and kind of be

sheltered to some degree from what was happening. So the worst enemy of the auto industry is

uncertainty and not having clarity where policies are going and what may happen. So I think not just

Hyundai is in the seat, obviously all of us. And yeah, we'll keep working closely, evolving the

strategy and I'm sure it'll be okay. Circling back to the Zeb incentive. So do you think we're at a

or we'll get to a point where it's not just about incentives, it's really about the product and

consumer preferences to move the needle on electrification? Do they matter still? What's

your opinion on that? Yeah, our view is electrification appetite in the market has not changed.

Incentives help to create some short-term demand versus where we're going. So we know one day it

will pivot to all EVs. It's a matter of time, it's a matter of when. Maybe the previous government's

appetite for electrification was not aligned with the natural market dynamics. So this is an

indication of pushing it a little bit to the out here that might help. But on our side, we believe

in it. We announced the INX6N today, the latest EV entry to the portfolio. So we're going full

speed with the whole development of even more EVs. So no scoop, nothing to announce today,

but we're working on other entries. And in the meantime, we want to have a solution for every

customer. So whether it's an internal combustion engine, a hybrid plug-in hybrid, an EV, we even

have a fuel cell vehicle in Canada. So we've got a little bit of everything for everybody.

So I want to talk a little bit about brands. Hyundai brand has moved from kind of a value

brand to almost an aspirational brand. Now, how did that shift happen? Like to walk us through

kind of the dynamics of that? Yeah, it's a little bit what I mentioned earlier. So on the back of

the strength of the product, being able to reinvest profits into the strength of the product. So

this whole cycle is very important. Developing a dealership network that is world-class, all new

facilities across the country, having the right training, the right processes, the right methods,

and all of this that leads to the best possible customer experience ecosystem. And we're not

done. Obviously, this game is never over. So we keep pushing that antiviral. And all of this

helps support the strengthening of the brand. And the stronger the brand gets, the purchasing

or the price points can go with it. So instead of selling on value, we're selling on

what is generated with technology, with content, with execution, and still getting a lot for the

money. The word value is not a dirty word. We provide very, very good value, but not on the

back of discounting. Value is also not a dirty word when it comes to the Genesis brand. It's

all about luxury, but it's all about luxury at an attainable price. So tell us about kind of the

process of scaling up that brand, because it's made some progress in this country vis-à-vis

other markets. So tell us about that. Yeah. So when I talk about the customer ecosystem,

Genesis is this on steroids. It's all about the customer. It's all about our guests and

making their life as easy as possible. We go to their house, we deliver the vehicles there,

we pick it up for service, we make them the center of the priorities. Now, obviously,

very, very strong portfolio. A lot of energy was made to develop very, very compelling vehicles,

entering key SUV segments has really fueled the growth, but we're not done yet. We're going to

keep expanding the portfolio in as much as it makes sense. So there's going to be more news to

come in the foreseeable future, but not on the back of having any compromises whatsoever in

terms of how we treat the customers. And finally, a huge thanks to our dealers that have put

unbelievable facilities. So now there's a physical presence to this brand, which obviously helps

fueling the growth even more. Yeah. And that retail strategy has changed from the very beginning

to what it is now with your experience centers that have opened up. Tell us about the progress of

that or any plans to open up any more. Yeah. So by the end of this year, we'll have all of our

facilities as other under constructions are done. We've got a pretty good coverage across the country,

maybe a handful more open points to come in the future at the right time, because we want to make

sure that the network is absolutely thriving in terms of volume, but profitability as well. So

we're going to do this in a measured way. And as we add products to the portfolio, obviously,

we'll evolve that way as well. So Genesis and Hyundai kind of operate on two different parts

of the spectrum when it comes to the offerings. However, when you look at some of the Hyundai

offerings like the Palisade, congratulations again, and the Ioniq 9, they really are kind of blurring

the lines between what a Hyundai is and what a Genesis could be. So how do you manage that

operating of two brands on the opposite side? Yeah. So the vehicles are different. They drive

differently. They're tuned differently. They have different levels of content, but they each stay

true to the brand. So I mentioned earlier, we offer a lot of value with Hyundai. We offer a lot

of value to the brands that we tend to expect at those price points. Similarly, on Genesis, it's a

little bit taken the same recipe, but going one notch higher in terms of the quality of the material,

the execution, the tuning, the technology that goes in the vehicle. And quite often,

you see the technology rolling out, starting on a Genesis, and then from a decontization

perspective, finding their way to Hyundai. So that's also, I think, a natural flow of content.

So what is it now? A year and a half in the job, Steve, more or less?

Yes. It feels like a lifetime event. So which leadership principles have mattered the most

for you in your role to maintain the momentum that you've built with such an amazing sales record?

Obviously, one of the key aspects of success is communication with our dealer partners. That's

not thinking that we know it all and to be able to adjust on the fly. But on the home front,

at headquarters, it's all about teamwork. It's all about creating an environment where everybody

can speak up. Every idea is a good idea. Listen to them. We all align, and then we go and execute.

And again, even at work, when we sit around our table on Monday mornings and Tuesday morning,

everybody has a seat at the table. Every voice is just as important. And we all open each other up

for constructive input. But by the time we leave the room, we're all on the same page,

and we can execute and execute fast. And we saw that last year when the

EV incentives went away, the whole team reacted. And within a day, we were already in market with

the strategy to counteract that. And that speed is because of teamwork.

So positive EBITDA sometimes hides a lot of sins and also sometimes gets people complacent. So how

do you keep your team and even your dealer partners hungry given the momentum that you're

enjoying now? How do you keep them focused on the next phase of growth?

Yeah, well, we all push each other. We're very, very competitive people. Anybody in the auto

industry, we're all competitive. We're born with that DNA inside of us. Never stay complacent.

If you stay complacent, you die basically in the industry. You always get a push and prepare for

the future. We heard earlier about the potential Chinese brand arriving, so we can't be disrupted

by them. So let's focus on what do we do next to have such a customer experience that we're not

going to be disrupted. Same thing when Hyundai came to Canada 42 years ago. The brand disrupted

a lot of OEMs, but some not at all. The Japanese were ready. They had a good customer experience

as part of their model. So we want to be the same. So when new arrivals in terms of competition

comes, we want to prepare ourselves so we're not disrupted. So that keeps us up at night,

but very motivated during the day. Just a reminder to everybody, you can submit your

questions on the QR code via Slido.com. So Steve, I do want to shift the focus a little bit to talk

about Hyundai's charitable giving. So you guys are involved in a lot of very active

charities that are giving back to the industry and to the communities you serve.

Should take a little bit of time to tell us about Hyundai Hope on Wheels and the success of that

from when it started, not that long ago, but what it is now, and your other charitable incentives

with Hockey and NHL. Right. Listen, we're an OEM. We're here to sell cars, make money,

work with our dealers. But at the end of the day, there's no better cause. Absolutely none better

than helping children fight cancer. And that concept really united the team to come up with

a program that's involving all of our dealers, 225 dealers all participating in it.

Every vehicle that sold raises money. We've raised over $4 million that went directly

to pediatric cancer research across the country. In a very short time. In a short period of time.

And that wasn't enough for the team. When we talked earlier about pushing each other to do more,

our marketing team came up with the program called The Greatest Saves. So that's an association

with the NHL, the Players Association. And basically the way it works is for every time

a goalie makes a save, we donate $10 to Hockey, to the Hope on Wheels program. So far in this

season, we've raised over half a million dollars. We're going to hope that, yeah.

We're going to hope that wall in Toronto makes a lot of saves so we can push that number closer

to a million. So let's go for that. So for a Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Canada was the second

market, I believe, where that was put out. So tell us a little bit about the genesis of it,

and you see what I did there, the genesis of it in the United States and how it came up here.

I didn't know you had dad jokes in you. Yeah, so it started in the US by the dealers,

then picked up by Hyundai in the US as well. And then we got a challenge from our executive chair

to expand the program in the world. And we pride ourselves on speed of execution and quality of

execution. And the Canada team here that's sitting in this room decided we're going to be the fastest

to follow suit. So we launched first in the world. And what a great cause to fight for. So we're so

happy we did that. So how do you scale it up? With the results you're getting on the charitable

giving side, there's always the expectation for more just like on the sales side. So how do you

scale it up and keep it authentic and keep it kind of tied into what you're trying to try?

Yeah, and it's not a flash in the pan. This is a program that's been ongoing for many, many years.

So we have a long view on it, keep working in where it makes the biggest impact. So again,

this year we're going to expand and help into not only the research aspect of it,

but what we talked about earlier today is also transportation. It's a hurdle for a lot of people.

So it's not just about where you're getting it, but how you get to the care that these

children need. So we're going to keep expanding that way, keep listening to the input. We talked

about listening to our dealers. We also listened to the C17 council, which administers all the

periodic research centers across the country. So we're going to keep evolving it in a way that

we can have the biggest impact possible. And the more cars we sell, the more money we raise. So

let's keep building those. Maybe looking for a car. Over to go. So we have a few questions.

So Steve, where do you believe Hyundai is still underestimated in the Canadian market?

Well, the people that get to know us, I think they are pleasantly surprised by what they get in

terms of value, in terms of the product, in terms of the experience, and keep pushing that envelope

and keep refining that customer experience will increase the brand value over time. So it takes

time. You don't build Rome in a day, right? So we've been on a 41, 42 year journey. We're going

to keep pushing. We're going to be relentless. We've got a long view on things, not trying to fix

everything now and then pay the price later. And if we keep on this trajectory, we're going to be

just fine. All right. There's another question on China, and it's on everybody's mind. So

you spent some time in China, yourself as an executive manager in GM, I believe. Can you tell

us a little bit about Hyundai's operations in China and what you think of the market over there?

Yeah. So when I was in China, I was with another OEM. So I'm not the expert or the authority on

Hyundai, but the partnership is with BAIC from Beijing. My other company was with SAIC, so very

similar name, but very different companies. I think there's a big adjustment for all global OEMs in

China in terms of the overall strategy. The Chinese domestic manufacturers have become mighty. And

I think there's probably a better speaker on China that we've heard last year maybe at this event.

But yeah, the China strategy is also a long, long view on what they want to do in the world. And

they've become very, very significant in South America, even places like Australia, which have

very similar regulations as Europe in terms of vehicle regulations. And of course, they're starting

in Europe quite a bit. So they are patient. They will come one day. It's important to prepare

ourselves when that happens so that we're not disrupted by them.

You can see the questions are coming fast and furious. So here they go.

Can you provide more details regarding your shift in production from the US for the Canadian

market and what that means to your adjusted import plan for 2026?

Well, 2026 were set. So whatever we did last year, we'll keep going with that.

We had a bit of a marriage of convenience because US were sourcing Tucson from Mexico and the

tariffs were applied to them. So what we did is we just shifted our production of Tucson

from Alabama to Mexico and brought it to Canada. So I'm a little bit lucky on this one and also

shifted some production back to Korea. So for this year, I think we're set with that.

But again, we hope for more clarity on USMCA, hopefully a good resolution because the more

flexibility that we have, we'll be happy to revisit the other plans.

So another question from the audience is regarding the GM partnership. There's been

a lot of discussion around working with GM in collaborating. Do you see a collaboration like

that potentially coming to Canada or where are we at? The answer honestly is I don't know. The

discussions are happening at the global level for other markets for now. Where it goes in time,

obviously if a marriage has gone really, really well, there'll be other opportunities. But

for now, I think they're focused on other markets and other projects and we'll see where it goes.

Back to you, Steve. So looking at your year and a half in the roll and looking ahead over the next

12, 24 months, what excites you the most other than continuing that hot sales streak

and what keeps you up at night? Again, the trajectory for both brands is very exciting.

We've only started scratching the surface with Genesis. There's a lot more potential there.

We're getting ready. The facilities are going up. We keep honing in on what's been successful in

terms of the customer experience and the vehicle. So that's very exciting. We're seeing a lot more

growth potential with that brand. In terms of Hyundai has again taken a really, really good

formula that we've seen and keep tweaking it because you cannot just sit still in our industry.

You do that, people pass you and then you're catching up. So again, we're pushing the boundaries,

especially as it comes to digital strategy. How do we engage the customer? How can we have a very

tailored experience from the moment they get off their couch to buy a vehicle to

basically intercept them in the retail process all the way through the ownership experience?

So again, there's a lot of data. You may have heard AI as a thing now, so we're doing a lot

of work with that as well so that we can have pinpoint accuracy in terms of how we engage

our customers. You can always tell when you get an email from AI or a text from AI and there's

too many hyphens and dashes in it. The Sultan of Nigeria.

One more question from the audience. Will the government's revised remission program allow

Hyundai to resume imports of models produced in the US like the Santa Cruz?

The question has to do with what's going to happen with the reopening or the potential revision of

the USMCA. So we'll see if it's favorable and makes sense. We'll look at bringing the Santa

Cruz back. It's only built in the US, so that was the only victim of what's happened with the

fentanyl tariffs, so to speak. But yeah, we'll see what happens. So obviously, there is a

natural market demand for that vehicle and if it's favorable, we'll be happy to bring it back.

I'd like to thank Steve for his time and Tim for conducting the interview.

If you'd like to be a guest on the show, have a suggestion or simply want to comment,

email me at glasen at AutoNews.com. And remember, you can listen to all our previous podcasts on

Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, or on our website, automotivenews.ca. Just scroll to the podcast

hub in the middle of our homepage. And don't forget, you can follow Automotive News Canada on X,

where we're at AutoNews Canada. You can find me there, too, at Glasen, A and C.

And finally, look for us on LinkedIn. You can search Automotive News Canada.

Feb. 20, 2026 | The week’s top stories and Hyundai Canada CEO Steve Flamand

About this episode

Hyundai Venue

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Hyundai Palisade

hybrid

electrification

EV

internal combustion engine

fuel cell vehicle

Hyundai Genesis

blurring the lines

Hyundai Tucson

tariffs

USMCA

Hyundai Santa Cruz

Request an Explanation

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