This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows the Kia Telluride SUV.
SEOUL, May 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Group’s sport utility vehicles (SUV) are driving sales in the United States, the “home of SUVs,” and are receiving high praise from both customers and automotive publications.
Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. sold 381,606 SUVs in the U.S. market from January to April, up 18.6 percent year-on-year, and accounting for 72.4 percent of their total vehicle sales during the same period, according to the companies’ sales data.
This means that 7 out of 10 Hyundai-Kia vehicles sold in the U.S. are now SUVs, up from 71.3 percent last year, which had the highest SUV share on an annualized basis.
Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Kia’s Telluride are the most popular models, with the Santa Fe selling 39,479 units in the U.S. market from January through April, up 7.7 percent from the same period last year, and the Telluride showing a strong increase of 17.9 percent with sales of 35,745 units during the same period.
Hyundai-Kia’s SUVs have also been recognized by automotive publications, with Kelley Blue Book naming three Hyundai vehicles (the Ioniq 5, Santa Fe, and Palisade) and one Kia vehicle (Telluride) to its “Best Family Cars of 2023″ list.
Hyundai Motor Group had the most vehicles on the list with four, outpacing Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. with three each.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the upgraded Palisade SUV.
The winners were selected based on safety, comfort, and convenience, and the Ioniq 5 was chosen because it “offers plenty of space and serves as a safe, quiet, and comfortable place for families.”
The Palisade was also recognized by WardsAuto as one of the 10 Best Interior and UX Models of 2023, receiving high marks for its easy-to-navigate menus, excellent voice recognition system, and stylish interior.
“In the U.S., a traditional SUV powerhouse, the Palisade was selected as an outstanding vehicle by a leading media outlet, beating out local manufacturers,” said a representative from Hyundai Motor Group.
“Sales in the U.S. continue to grow due to the popularity of SUVs.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
