April 27, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors said on May 2 their combined sales in the United States fell 8.4 percent on-year last month, as their new sport utility vehicles have yet to bolster overall demand.

In April, Hyundai Motor sold 56,063 vehicles in the US, down 11 percent from 63,050 units a year earlier, while Kia‘s numbers fell 5.2 percent to 50,585 autos from 53,358 during the same period, their US sales data showed.

US customers’ demand for Hyundai and Kia vehicles remained weak last month, as their new SUV models, such as the Kona, have yet to reach US dealerships in meaningful numbers, Hyundai said in a statement.

The company said total numbers may have even taken a hit as potential buyers held off on purchases until the arrival of new vehicles.

“Even with April having three fewer selling days and one less weekend, Hyundai’s well-balanced SUV lineup continues to take advantage of market conditions and consumer preferences,” Director John Angevine in charge of national sales at Hyundai Motor America said in the statement.

In the January-April period, the two carmakers sold a total of 382,470 autos, down 7.4 percent from 412,928 units in the same period a year earlier, according to the sales data.

Hyundai sold 204,940 units in the first four months, down 12 percent from 231,842 in 2017. Kia’s sales declined 1.7 percent to 177,530 from 181,086 during the cited period, the data said.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)