Continued demand for crossovers drove strong retail sales for the Hyundai brand in August while Kia enjoyed a 13 percent August bump and Genesis posted increases across its lineup.
For Hyundai, August was the 13th straight month of year-over-year sales gains as the brand has moved from a sedan-heavy lineup to a mix that includes more crossovers. The subcompact Kona, compact Tuscon, midsize Santa Fe and the new midsize Palisade accounted for 57 percent of all Hyundais sold in August. The Palisade racked up sales of 5,115 in its third month, exceeding Hyundai's expectations.
Hyundai's gains were driven by retail demand, as fleet sales accounted for only 10 percent of its August tally, and retail sales increased 11 percent.
Kia's Sportage compact crossover had its best-ever month, with sales of 9,593, while the new three-row Telluride crossover generated 6,37 deliveries, its best month since being introduced earlier this year. Kia's U.S. sales have now advanced 11 straight months.
Genesis sales spiked 187 percent, driven by demand for the G70 compact sedan, which went on sale late last year. Genesis sold 1,015 G70 sedans in August, and deliveries also increased for its other two models.
Brands: Hyundai, up 12%; Kia, up 13%; Genesis, up 187%
Notable nameplates: Hyundai Tuscon, up 21%; Hyundai Kona, up 34%; Hyundai Santa Fe, down 4.6%; Hyundai Elantra, down 7.6%; Hyundai Sonata, down 13%; Kia Sportage, up 47%; Kia Sorento, down 24%; Kia Forte, up 46%; Genesis G80, up 14%; Genesis G90, up 46%
Incentives: For Hyundai, $2,693 per vehicle, down 9% from a year earlier, according to ALG. For Kia, $3,461 per vehicle, down 13%.
Average transaction price: For Hyundai, $24,644, up 11% from a year earlier, says ALG. For Kia, 24,057, up 6.1%
Quote: "Given this response we are working hard to increase dealer inventory to satisfy the tremendous demand" for Palisade, said Randy Parker, vice president of national sales for Hyundai, in a statement.
Did you know? The Hyundai brand has seen year-over-year retail sales gains in six out of the last seven months.
