The COVID-19 pandemic has dragged down vehicle sales across the industry, and Hyundai is no exception. In March, total sales for Hyundai Motor America fell 43 percent and retail sales were down 39 percent.
For the month, Hyundai sold 35,118 units, compared with 61,177 in March 2019.
Hyundai’s bestsellers for the month were the Elantra sedan (7,430 units), Santa Fe SUV (6,358 units), and Tucson SUV (6,073 units).
“Hyundai has been through difficult situations before and we know our resiliency and strength will allow us to emerge stronger than ever,” said Parker. “We know tough days are ahead but we’re doing all we can to position the company to survive this and return to the growth trajectory we’ve been on.”
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March’s economic upheaval also had an impact on Hyundai’s quarterly numbers. Even though the automaker experienced 11 percent growth over January and February, sales were down 11 percent for the quarter as a whole.
However, as the result of strong growth over the first two months of the year, Hyundai’s retail sales only declined 2 percent for the quarter.
“It goes without saying that the entire world is facing a tremendous challenge that is having a significant impact on business and our normal way of life,” said Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales. “At Hyundai, we are first and foremost focused on the safety and security of our employees, dealers, customers, and communities, and we are doing everything we can to help society.”
Hyundai has taken strong steps to respond to the pandemic, halting vehicle production and implementing practices to protect its workers. It’s also providing customers with peace of mind during a difficult time by offering payment protection in the event of a job loss and extending warranties for 1 million vehicles.
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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.