Strong October Gives Hyundai 2 Straight Months of Sales Gains
Photo: Hyundai
For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hyundai is celebrating two consecutive months of sales growth. The automaker moved 57,395 units in October, good for an increase of 1 percent.
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Out of that amount, 52,117 sales were on the retail side — a 10 percent jump compared to October 2019. Fleet sales were down but represented a shrinking share of the total. More than 62 percent of Hyundai’s total sales for the month — and 68 percent of retail — came from SUVs.
“October was the second straight month with double-digit Hyundai retail sales growth as the automotive market continues to show resiliency,” said Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales. Our SUV products drove the majority of the growth, but our all-new Sonata achieved a 20 percent retail gain, a sign that the right sedan can still drive consumer demand.”
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Hyundai sales leaders for October
A handful of models were responsible for the bulk of Hyundai’s October gains. The Palisade SUV posted the month’s biggest increase, 72.6 percent, and finished with 7,519 sales. The Kona notched 6,540 sales for an 18.6 percent overall increase — and its retail increase of 32 percent was even better. As noted by Parker, the new Sonata sedan posted great numbers, too. It was up 24.9 percent for the month based on 7,570 sales.
Hyundai’s two overall bestsellers were the Elantra sedan (11,428 units) and the Tucson SUV (10,898 units). Both models lost ground compared to October 2019, but better results should be coming soon. The all-new 2021 Elantra is arriving at dealerships later this month, and the redesigned 2022 Tucson will be available in spring 2021.
As the end of 2020 nears, Hyundai’s diverse vehicle lineup and sales comeback have the automaker well-positioned for a strong finish despite some tough spring and summer losses triggered by the pandemic.
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.