Available in Jeju starting Tuesday

Expansion to major nationwide branches in October

Seoul Station, Incheon Airport, Dongdaegu KTX, Busan Station among rollout sites

Promotional event runs through Oct. 31

Lotte Rent-a-Car has begun operating Hyundai Motor's compact sedan, the All New Avante, in Jeju. [Provided by Lotte Rental]
Lotte Rent-a-Car has begun operating Hyundai Motor's compact sedan, the All New Avante, in Jeju. [Provided by Lotte Rental]

The eighth-generation Avante — Hyundai Motor's first full redesign of the model in six years — is now available as a rental car. Lotte Rent-a-Car has deployed the new model in Jeju and plans to expand to major locations across the country starting next month.

Lotte Rent-a-Car announced Tuesday that it has begun operating Hyundai Motor's compact sedan, the All New Avante, in Jeju.

Starting next month, the company will roll out vehicles in stages to Seoul Station, Incheon Airport, Gangnam, Suyu and Sangbong in Seoul, Dongdaegu KTX station, Gwangju Songjeong KTX station, Busan Station, Daejeon and Gunsan. The expansion means customers traveling through railway stations and airports — not just Jeju visitors — will be able to rent the new model.

The new Avante is the eighth-generation fully redesigned model released last month. It marks the first generational change since the seventh-generation model debuted in 2020. On the first day contracts opened, Aug. 5, 11,094 units were reserved — the highest single-day contract figure in the nameplate's history.

The vehicle comes equipped with Hyundai Motor's next-generation infotainment system, Pleos Connect, and Gleo AI, which leverages generative AI. It also features Memory Reverse Assist, which recalls a driver's previous route to aid in reversing, and Remote Smart Parking Assist, which supports parking from outside the vehicle.

To mark the vehicle's introduction, Lotte Rent-a-Car is running a joint promotional event with Hyundai Motor for rental customers. The first 500 customers to rent the new Avante in Jeju will receive a travel kit.

Customers who correctly answer quiz questions about key systems in the new Avante will be entered into a draw for prizes including a Samsung Moving Style and a Dyson Airwrap. The event covers customers who begin a rental from Tuesday through Oct. 31.

"We secured early inventory so customers can experience the new car quickly without having to buy it," a Lotte Rent-a-Car official said. "We plan to continue securing new models ahead of the competition as they are released, so customers can get behind the wheel of the latest vehicles as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Lotte Rent-a-Car is also applying AI to the reservation process. Earlier this month, the company launched a G Car AI Booking service for its carsharing platform G Car, which allows users to describe their preferred location and time and then finds and books a matching vehicle for them.


kwater@heraldcorp.com