MAL — Hyundai
A VIN beginning MAL identifies a vehicle built by Hyundai in India, covering Chennai-built i20 and Creta. The first character, M, is the region marker; the two that follow narrow it to the manufacturer and division.
Other Hyundai codes
Large manufacturers hold several WMIs, usually split by plant or vehicle class.
Also built in India
Questions
›What car has a VIN starting with MAL?
A Hyundai built in India — typically Chennai-built i20 and Creta. The three characters identify the manufacturer and plant region, not the specific model; characters 4–8 describe the model itself.
›Is MAL the same as the country of origin?
The first character alone gives the region — M indicates India. All three together identify the specific manufacturer and division within it.
›Can I tell the model year from MAL?
No. The WMI says who built the vehicle, not when. Character 10 carries the model year, and character 7 helps resolve which of its two possible years applies.