Photo: Hyundai
Heading into March, Hyundai Motor America had posted sales increases for 17 of the previous 20 months. The arrival of COVID-19 put a stop to that trend, sending sales across the auto industry into a four-month slide.
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Now Hyundai can celebrate again. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the automaker posted a 1 percent overall sales increase in July, along with an even more impressive 4 percent retail sales increase.
For the month, Hyundai sold 57,677 vehicles. About 93 percent of that total — 53,555 units — came from retail sales. Hyundai’s growing SUV lineup accounted for more than two-thirds of that retail result.
“Achieving an overall sales increase despite the ongoing pandemic is a tremendous accomplishment and speaks to the depth and quality of our product lineup and resiliency of our dealers,” said Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales. “Our inventory levels are stable and customers are able to find the Hyundai vehicle that best suits their needs.”
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Hyundai’s July 2020 sales leaders
Only two Hyundai models made overall sales gains in July, but fortunately for the automaker, that’s only part of the story.
Continuing to grow in popularity, the Palisade full-size SUV moved a record 8,404 units for the month — nearly doubling its sales from the year before. The Kona compact SUV also had a strong July, selling 7,077 units for a 10.9 percent increase.
If you look at retail sales, even more Hyundai vehicles made gains in July. The Santa Fe SUV grew its retail sales by 9 percent. Meanwhile, the Sonata and the Accent were exceptions to the industry-wide sedan slump, gaining 7 percent apiece.
With the continued uncertainty stemming from COVID-19’s persistence and the U.S. government’s gridlock on providing economic relief, it’s not clear whether Hyundai will be able to fully re-establish its growth trend. At the very least, though, these July sales results give the automaker an encouraging data point to build on in the coming months.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.