Hyundai Motor and Kia received divergent performance reports in the global market last month. Hyundai Motor saw sales decline due to production disruptions from strikes and pent-up demand ahead of new model launches, whereas Kia recorded double-digit growth driven by strong sales of domestic and overseas electric vehicles (EVs) and HYBE-led models.
According to the automotive industry on the 3rd, Hyundai Motor and Kia sold a total of 616,491 units globally in July this year, representing a 3% increase compared to the same period last year.
Hyundai Motor sold 318,454 units in total, including 48,113 domestically and 270,041 overseas. This marks a 5.1% decrease from the same period last year and a 6.4% drop from the previous month. Domestic sales specifically fell by 14.4% compared to the prior-year period, impacted by production disruptions due to strikes and pent-up demand ahead of new model launches. Overseas sales also declined by 3.2%, affected by shrinking industrial demand.
Domestically, the Grandeur saw a 93.6% year-on-year increase to 8,532 units sold, while the Sonata rose 38.3% to 4,584 units. In contrast, the Avante, ahead of its full redesign launch, dropped 57.3% to 2,624 units. The Tucson and Palisade also fell by 65.7% and 59.2%, respectively.
A Hyundai Motor official stated, "In July, overall industrial demand contracted, compounded by production disruptions from strikes and pent-up demand ahead of new model launches." They emphasized, "We will strengthen sales momentum in the second half by introducing competitive new models, including the all-new Avante, while stabilizing production operations."
Kia sold a total of 298,037 units, comprising 54,604 domestically, 242,556 overseas, and 877 special vehicles. This represents a 13.4% year-on-year increase, marking five consecutive months of growth. Excluding special vehicles, domestic sales rose 21.3% and overseas sales increased 11.6% compared to the same period last year. Strong performance in domestic and overseas EVs and HYBE-led models drove these results.
By model, the Sportage led global sales with 52,714 units sold. The Seltos followed with 36,429 units, and the K4 with 27,889 units. Domestically, the Seltos was the top seller with 7,427 units, followed by the Carnival (6,917), Sorento (6,153), and Sportage (5,381).
GM Korea sold 42,119 units, a 30.6% increase year-on-year, driven by rising overseas sales. Overseas sales reached 41,353 units, up 33.3%, while domestic sales fell 37.5% to just 766 units. The Chevrolet Trax crossover sold 26,822 units overseas, a 48.1% increase year-on-year. The Trailblazer also grew by 12.6% to 14,531 units.
KGM sold a total of 8,551 units, including 2,610 domestically and 5,941 overseas, down 11.1% year-on-year. Domestic sales dropped 41.4%, but overseas sales rose 15% thanks to increased sales of the Torres EVX and Musso EV.
Renault Korea sold a total of 3,030 units, including 1,704 domestically and 1,326 for export, down 58.2% year-on-year. Domestic sales fell 57.4%, while exports declined 59.2%. Domestically, the Grand Koleos was the top seller with 728 units, followed by the Phlot (537) and Arkana (439). Since its mid-March launch, the Phlot has recorded cumulative sales of 11,061 units. HYBE-led models accounted for 1,219 units, representing 71.5% of total domestic sales.
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