Attendees at international trade shows have been catching a glimpse of the next-generation excavators from Hyundai and Develon, which the sister companies say are a complete redesign from previous models.
Parent company HD Hyundai first rolled out the new Hyundai 40-metric-ton HX400 and Develon 24-metric-ton DX240 at the Seoul Mobility Show 2025 in South Korea, where it was announced that the excavators are scheduled to hit the North American market in April 2026, according to The Korea Herald. The excavators will first be released in Korean and European markets later this year. The Develon DX240 will be sold as the DX230 in Europe and North America, with both brands releasing more models soon after, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
Then at this week’s Bauma trade show in Germany, both Hyundai and Develon provided a deeper look at the next-generation excavators, along with a teaser video of the new machines posted on HD Hyundai Infracore’s LinkedIn page:
Here’s what we know so far about the next-generation excavators:
Hyundai
Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe sent out a news release from Bauma, announcing the unveiling of the new 36-metric-ton HX360L and 40-metric-ton HX400L.
“The HX360L and HX400L mark the start of a complete crawler excavator overhaul for Hyundai,” the company says. “Rather than simply making improvements to existing models, the company is breaking the mold with a totally new, ground-up excavator design.”
The excavators run on Hyundai’s 6-cylinder DX08 diesel engine that delivers up to 341 horsepower and produces 23% more power and 8% better fuel efficiency than previous engine generations.
The new excavators also feature full electro-hydraulic control of main pump flow and individual control valves for precise control of hydraulic output, the company says.
Other new features include:
- Improved Rexroth hydraulic pumps, plus in-house swing and travel motors.
- Optional premium leather seating with heating and cooling functions.
- Two 12.8-inch high-definition monitors.
- Lift Assist option that shows where it is safe to move a load when lifting.
- SAVM (Smart Around View Monitoring), which is an upgrade from Advanced Around View Monitoring with six cameras up from four. The system uses artificial intelligence to detect people in the operating area, which are shown on the in-cab monitors.
- Radar Object Warning System that detects people and objects and issues sound and visual warnings. E-Stop uses the radar system to control deceleration if the operator fails to react to the warnings.
- Virtual Wall setting to present ceiling, wall and floor limits, to increase efficiency, productivity and safety.
- Optional keyless entry.
- Six LED working lights.
- White-noise alarm.
- Engine oil and oil and fuel filter intervals extended from 500 to 1,000 hours.
Develon
Develon also introduced two of its next-generation excavator models at Bauma after unveiling the 24-metric-ton DX240 at the Seoul Mobility Show. The YouTube video above, released April 7 by Develon Global, shows a 23-metric-ton DX230LC-9 excavator. Develon also revealed a 26-metric-ton DX260LC-9.
(Note: Specs and model names tend to change for the specific regions where excavators are sold.)
The company calls the new -9 Series “a bold leap forward, bringing together years of Develon’s innovation into one extraordinary machine.” They achieve a 20% improvement in fuel economy, the company says.
The excavators also get “next-level 2D Machine Guidance & Smart Control.” Other new features include Breaker Assist and Auto Breaker “to reduce operator fatigue and protect vehicles/components by preventing strikes.” Predictive Health Monitoring is designed to detect and analyze machine issues, including minor ones, for proactive maintenance and repair.
Other improvements on the models include many of the same features mentioned on the Hyundai excavators, such as electro-hydraulic controls, Smart Around View Monitoring, Radar Object Warning System, Virtual Wall and Advanced Lift Assist.
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