Hyundai, Kia's US sales up 5 pc in July on robust hybrid demand
Seoul, Aug 3
Hyundai Motor Group said on Monday that its US sales rose 5 per cent from a year earlier in July, driven by robust demand for hybrid and sport utility vehicles.
Hyundai Motor America sold 89,427 vehicles in the U.S. market last month, including 6,947 luxury Genesis models, up 3.7 percent from a year earlier.
The Tucson was Hyundai's bestselling model with 19,714 units, followed by the Elantra with 17,115 units and the Santa Fe with 13,373 units, reports Yonhap news agency.
Kia America posted even stronger growth, with sales rising a solid 6.7 percent on-year to 75,857 vehicles in July.
The Sportage remained Kia's top seller with 16,083 units, followed by the K4 with 12,094 units and the Telluride with 11,816 units.
Combined sales of eco-friendly vehicles by Hyundai Motor and Kia jumped 24.7 percent on-year to 50,937 units in July, accounting for 30.8 percent of their total U.S. sales.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor and Kia sold more than 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe in the first half of the year as the South Korean automakers stepped up efforts to strengthen their presence in the region, the companies said.
A total of 131,032 EVs were sold in Europe during the first six months of 2026, up a sharp 41.8 percent from 92,365 recorded in the previous half, according to Hyundai and Kia.
Kia's EV3 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) was the bestselling model with 27,121 units sold, followed by Hyundai's Inster subcompact SUV with 16,594 units and Kia's EV4 sedan with 14,502 units.
If the current sales pace continues through the end of the year, the companies expect annual EV sales in Europe to surpass 200,000 units for the first time since they entered the European EV market in 2014.
Hyundai and Kia first topped 100,000 annual EV sales in Europe in 2021, and their combined sales have risen steadily since then, reaching 183,912 units in 2025.
Their cumulative EV sales in Europe surpassed the 1 million mark through May.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting how the US market is still so focused on SUVs and hybrids. Meanwhile in India, we're still fighting over small car subsidies. The Telluride and Sportage are fantastic vehicles - saw one at a recent auto show, the build quality is impressive. Hope Kia brings the EV3 to India soon!
The EV push in Europe is really paying off for them. 131,000 EVs in six months is no joke. But I can't help feeling a bit envious - we have the same Hyundai and Kia models in India, but our EV infrastructure is still so patchy. If we had the charging network they have in Europe, we could see similar numbers.
I'm actually looking at the Tucson hybrid for my next car here in the US. The 19,714 units sold last month shows it's clearly popular. My neighbor has one and she loves it - says the mileage is excellent for city driving. Definitely considering the Santa Fe too.
The fact that eco-friendly vehicles now make up 30.8% of their US sales is a significant milestone. I just wish the Indian government had implemented the FAME scheme more effectively - we could have been a major market for their EVs. Instead, most of their production for EVs seems to be going to Europe and the US. Business decisions make sense, but the Indian consumer loses out.
💪 Proud to see Korean automakers succeeding globally! The Kia EV3 looks absolutely stunning, and the Inster seems perfect for cramped European cities. But here's the thing - why does it take so long for these models to reach
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