This file photo provided by Kia Corp. shows the Telluride SUV produced in the U.S. for local sale.
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. said Thursday their combined sales in the United States rose 15 percent in January from a year earlier on robust sales of SUVs and eco-friendly models.
Hyundai and Kia sold 107,889 vehicles in the world’s most important automobile market last month, up from 93,998 units the previous year, according to the companies’ sales data.
Hyundai’s U.S. sales climbed 8.5 percent on-year to 55,906 units and Kia’s jumped 22 percent to 51,983, the data showed. Hyundai’s sales figures included the sales results of its independent brand Genesis.
“On the heels of our best-ever annual retail sales performance, Kia accelerated into the new year with our sixth consecutive month of record-breaking sales thanks to the popularity of our capable SUVs and electrified models,” Eric Watson, vice president in charge of sales operations at Kia America, said in a statement.
It is poised to be another exciting year for the Kia brand with increased Telluride production, the new 2024 Seltos arriving soon, and the full production of the Sportage, EV6 and Niro, he said.
For all of 2022, Kia’s U.S. sales fell 1.1 percent on-year to 693,549 units, while Hyundai’s dropped 0.9 percent to 780,675 units.
But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) remain major worries for the carmakers’ sales in the U.S. this year.
The IRA excludes electric vehicles built outside North America from tax credits. The new law is widely expected to deal a blow to Hyundai and Kia, as they produce their EVs at domestic plants for export to the U.S.
(Yonhap)
