April 23, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors both showed increased sales of their SUVs in the United States in July despite an overall sales decline for the month, their US distribution arms said on Aug. 1.

Hyundai Motor America reported sales of 51,752 units, down 4.3 percent compared with the same month of the previous year.

Sales of the SUV Tucson, however, set a monthly record for 17 straight months. The car sold 81,309 units this year up to July, nearly a 30 percent leap from the same period last year.

The Kona, a compact SUV model released this year, exceeded 4,000 units in sales for the month, boosting Hyundai’s presence in the SUV segment.

Veloster performed exceptionally in the car segment, showing a 13 percent increase in sales compared with July last year, while the Sonata sales dropped.

The automaker debuted its all-new 2019 Santa Fe, another SUV line, in the month, raising hopes of improved sales volume.

Kia Motors, the sister firm of Hyundai, reported a double-digit sales increase for the Sorento SUV for a monthly total of 11,982 units. The Rio and Optima car lines also hit a double-digit sales jump.

The company’s overall sales in July were down 5.8 percent on-year.

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