April 19, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors are expanding their presence in the hybrid vehicle market in the US, backed by brisk sales of their latest sports utility vehicle models, data showed April 9. 

The Korean automobile companies sold a combined 4,358 hybrid vehicles in world‘s largest economy in March, up 87.8 percent from a year earlier, according to U.S. online market tracker HybridCars.com

Their share in the U.S. hybrid vehicles market rose to 13.7 percent during the month from 7-8 percent on an annual basis last year. Kia sold some 2,704 units of its SUV hybrid Niro.

It was the fourth best-selling hybrid model in February after it appeared at the Super Bowl ads. Hyundai shipped 1,082 units of Sonata hybrids and some 327 units of Ioniq, the plug-in hybrid hatchback.

The sales of hybrid vehicles in the US came to 32,012 units last month, up 11.3 percent from the previous year, according to the online site.

By Park Han-na and wires (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)