Hyundai Makes Major Sales Comeback in May
Photo: Hyundai
After two months of plunging sales brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hyundai made a significant comeback in May. The automaker’s overall U.S. sales were still down 13 percent compared to May 2019, but retail sales were up 5 percent — and up 80 percent compared to April of this year.
For the month, Hyundai sold 54,719 units. About 95 percent of that amount was retail. Although fleet sales plunged 79 percent, they only represented 5 percent of total sales.
“We were able to achieve a remarkable retail sales rebound thanks to our dealer partners, implementation of digital retail tools, and providing customers with the right offers,” said Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales. “We’ve also equipped our dealers with resources to ensure we are taking the necessary precautions to keep vehicles and facilities clean.”
In May, 41,163 of Hyundai’s sales for the month were SUVs — a share of more than 75 percent. SUVs also made up 71 percent of retails sales.
Hyundai sales for the month were led by the Tucson SUV, which moved 15,552 units for just a half-percent decrease compared to May 2019. Nearly 15,000 of those sales, though, were on the retail side — a 23 percent increase.
The Santa Fe SUV sold 9,549 units in May. Although that was a 30.8 percent overall decrease, the Santa Fe did manage to achieve a 1 percent increase on the retail side.
Coming in third was the Palisade, which sold a solid 7,866 units for the month. According to Hyundai sales numbers, May was the Palisade’s best sales month by far since the full-size SUV first went on sale last summer.
Parker says he expects the positive news to continue for Hyundai. “Our inventory pipeline is in a good place as Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has been up and running since May 4. We’re optimistic for the months ahead.”
Another reason for Hyundai optimism: Redesigned versions of the automaker’s two most popular SUVs will go on sale in the coming months. The 2021 Santa Fe made its debut earlier in June, and a 2021 Tucson reveal is expected sometime this year.
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.