Kia Telluride Hybrid. Photo courtesy of Kia
Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia (000270.KS) posted their best-ever first-half sales in the United States this year, with combined sales reaching 881,295 vehicles.
Analysts said the automakers successfully responded to the EV chasm — a temporary slowdown in demand — by focusing on hybrids and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that emphasize practicality and fuel efficiency.
Hyundai Motor’s US unit sold a total of 450,568 vehicles in the first half, a 3% increase from the same period a year earlier, the company said Wednesday.
The Elantra Hybrid, Sonata Hybrid and Tucson Hybrid led the sales growth, the unit explained.
Sales were the highest for any first half on record. June monthly sales also rose 11% year-on-year to 70,755 vehicles, a record for the month.
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor
Kia’s US unit also set an all-time record with cumulative first-half sales of 430,727 vehicles. The figure was up 3% from 416,511 vehicles in the same period last year.
In the recreational vehicle (RV) segment in particular, sales growth for the Sportage Hybrid reached 136%, while the Carnival (21%) and Telluride (20%) also posted double-digit growth rates.
June monthly sales totaled 70,507 vehicles, up 10% from a year earlier, marking a record for the month.