TOKYO – Hyundai Motor Co. is a global success from Bangalore to Baltimore, but there’s a market just next door where the company’s trademark has long been absent: Japan.

The South Korean automaker pulled out of the market in 2009 after a dismal run in Japan. But now Hyundai will make a second leap into the country with a high-tech twist.

Hyundai said Tuesday it will re-enter the Japanese auto market this spring, with a focus on zero-emission all-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles sold through an online-only sales network.

The automaker is betting that clean, green digital devices will appeal to younger Japanese buyers, who are also more open to trying South Korean imports in some corners, thanks to the local success of electronics brands like Samsung and an affinity with hot Korean cultural trends.

To capitalize on the new spirit, Hyundai is even rebranding its local subsidiary Hyundai Mobility Co., throwing the oh-so-20th-century “engine” into the name. At the top will be two of Hyundai’s most advanced offerings, the new Ioniq 5 electric crossover and the Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

Hyundai takes orders in May, with deliveries beginning in July.

Hyundai exited the Japanese market in December 2009 after just eight years in the country, which is still known for its picky consumers and loyal to homegrown brands.

Hyundai sold just over 15,000 cars in Japan in the first eight years. At the time, the Volkswagen Group, the best-selling import, sold around 60,000 annually.

Hyundai’s withdrawal from Japan comes just a year after arch-rival Toyota announced plans to launch its flagship Toyota brand in the Korean market.

Japanese brands like Toyota first got a foothold in South Korea, but in recent years they’ve struggled against both European imports and domestic son champions Hyundai and Kia. Nissan, for example, said it would withdraw from South Korea in 2020.