Hyundai Motor and Kia achieved record-breaking sales in the U.S. market for the first half of this year. Eco-friendly vehicles, particularly hybrids, led the charge, surpassing 250,000 units sold for the first time and accounting for nearly a third of total sales.
On Thursday, the automakers reported that Hyundai (including Genesis) and Kia sold a combined 920,383 vehicles in the U.S. from January to June. This represents a 3% increase from the same period last year, setting a new first-half sales record for the second consecutive year.
Hyundai’s sales rose 2.7% to 489,656 units, with Genesis seeing a 4.6% uptick to 39,088 vehicles. Kia also set a first-half record, with sales climbing 3.4% to 430,727 units.
Eco-friendly vehicles were the driving force behind this success. Sales in this category jumped 47% year-over-year to 265,514 units, breaking the 250,000 mark for the first time in a half-year period. These green vehicles now make up 31.2% of total sales, meaning one in three vehicles sold by the Korean automakers in the U.S. is eco-friendly.
Hyundai’s eco-friendly vehicle sales increased 32.4% to 142,332 units, while Kia saw a dramatic 68% rise to 123,182 units.
hybrid vehicles showed particularly impressive growth. Combined hybrid sales for both companies surged 65.5% to 225,321 units. Hyundai’s hybrid sales rose 50% to 114,870 units, while Kia’s skyrocketed 85.3% to 110,451 units.
However, electric vehicle (EV) sales dipped 9.7% to 40,193 units. Hyundai’s EV sales fell 11% to 27,462 units, and Kia’s decreased 6.9% to 12,731 units.
Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and popular models led the sales boom. Hyundai’s top sellers were the Tucson (117,612 units), Elantra (79,839 units), and Santa Fe (64,003 units). Kia’s bestsellers included the Sportage (94,907 units), Telluride (73,602 units), and K4 (73,579 units).
June sales maintained this positive momentum. Hyundai’s sales grew 11.2% year-over-year to 85,080 units, while Kia’s increased 10.4% to 70,507 units. The combined June sales for both companies rose 10.8% to 155,587 units, with Hyundai achieving its best-ever June sales since entering the U.S. market.
For the second quarter, the Korean automakers’ combined U.S. sales grew 3.5% to 489,663 units compared to the same period last year. Hyundai’s sales increased 4.1% to 265,951 units, while Kia’s rose 2.8% to 223,712 units, continuing their strong performance from the first half of the year.
