April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Sales of midsize hybrid cars were halved in the first four months of this year, largely due to most vehicle models being dated and the popularity of gas-powered cars, data from carmakers showed on May 7.

Sales of the three key models – Hyundai Motor's Sonata, Kia Motors' K5 and GM Korea’s Malibu – hit 2,268 units at the end of April, down a sharp 49.7 percent from a year earlier. 

Sales of the Sonata hybrid, launched in late 2014, reached 1,281 units, while those for the K5 hybrid and the Malibu stood at 842 and 145, respectively.

On the other hand, sales of larger full-size hybrid cars rose for four straight months this year, with Hyundai’s Grandeur topping the monthly 1,000 sales mark for April.

In the January-April period, their sales reached 4,269, up a 24.1 percent on year.

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)