Seoul: Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. reported a 6.4 percent increase in their combined vehicle sales in the United States for May compared to the previous year, despite a slowdown in growth from the previous month due to ongoing tariff issues. The two companies sold a total of 163,528 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up from 153,641 units a year ago, based on company sales data.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hyundai's sales increased by 8 percent year-on-year to 84,521 units from 78,485, while Kia's sales went up by 5.1 percent to 79,007 units from 75,156. The sales figures for Hyundai do not include its luxury brand, Genesis. In April, both companies experienced double-digit year-on-year sales growth in the U.S., the world's largest automotive market.
Hyundai attributed its May growth to strong demand for its Elantra compact car and the Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs. Eric Watson, vice president of sales operations at Kia America, highlighted the impact of Kia's diverse powertrain lineup, which includes internal combustion engines, hybrids, and EVs. He noted the strong demand for the Telluride and Sportage SUVs, the Carnival minivan, and the K4 sedan as significant contributors to Kia's continued sales growth.
Data showed that from January to May, the South Korean carmakers sold a combined 722,234 vehicles in the U.S. market, more than doubling the 353,720 units sold during the same period last year.