(image: Hyundai-Kia Motor Group)
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. are off to a positive start this year, posting increased sales of Tucson and Sportage SUVs, respectively, in the United States last month from a year earlier.
In January, Hyundai Motor saw the sale of the Tucson compact SUV jump 33 percent to 7,638 vehicles from 5,748 units a year earlier. The sale of the midsized Santa Fe SUV fell 2.7 percent to 7,677 from 7,889 during the same period, Hyundai Motor America said in a statement.
“As we expected, the SUV focused-market continues into 2018 with consumer demand in those segments outpacing all others,” John Angevine, director in charge of national sales at Hyundai Motor America, said in the statement.
Tucson set its monthly sales record for the 11th consecutive month and is clearly resonating with what customers are looking for with its “striking design and advanced technology,” he said.
As the carmaker plans to launch the fully revamped Santa Fe SUV in the U.S. ahead of the summer holidays, it expects the new model will further drive up sales in the world’s most important automobile market.
To boost sales, Hyundai also plans to introduce the Kona subcompact SUV in the U.S. market this month or in March.
In total, however, the maker of the Sonata sedan and Elantra compact sold a combined 41,242 vehicles, which carry the Hyundai or the sub-brand Genesis marque in the U.S. last month. It was down 11 percent from 46,507 units a year ago, the statement said.
Kia Motors sold 35,628 vehicles in the U.S. last month, slightly up from 35,626 units a year earlier. The sale of the company’s Sportage SUV climbed 24 percent to 5,712 autos from 4,623 during the same period, Kia Motors America said.
The sale of the Sorento SUV slightly fell to 6,123 from 6,179 over the cited period. That of the Stinger sports car, launched in the U.S. late last year, stood at 1,021 units in January, it said.
Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world’s fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, suffered declines in U.S. sales last year due to the lack of new models, particularly SUVs.
(Yonhap)
