Hyundai Celebrates 3 Percent Sales Increase for 2019
Photo: Hyundai
Hyundai Motor America can look back on a successful 2019, complete with total sales that were up 3 percent over the previous year. Retail sales were up 5 percent.
The automaker moved 688,711 units for the year, compared with 667,634 in 2018. That’s its best annual sales tally since 2016.
“2019 was a successful year for Hyundai in the U.S., where we grew total sales volume by 3 percent in an industry that is down slightly, resulting in an increased market share for the brand,” said Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales.
Hyundai’s strong sales year was driven by its expanding SUV lineup. About 53 percent of all sales came from SUVs, including a pair of all-new models: the full-size Palisade and the subcompact Venue.
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Photo: Hyundai
2019 Hyundai sales leaders
Hyundai’s top-selling SUV for the year was the Tucson at 137,381 units. That was a 3.4 percent decrease from the previous year.
The Santa Fe ranked second among Hyundai SUVs with 127,373 sold — nearly 9 percent more than 2018.
The Kona also posted strong numbers — 73,326 sales for a whopping 56 percent increase. And the Palisade sold 28,736 units after its introduction in June.
Despite the industry’s continuing decline in sedan sales, the Elantra was Hyundai’s overall leader for 2019 with 175,094 units sold. Tellingly, though, that was a 12.6 percent decline from the previous year.
Hyundai’s Accent and Sonata sedans also posted declines for the year, but the automaker did enjoy a couple of solid car successes. The Ioniq lineup of eco-friendly cars sold 19,574 units in 2019, which represented a 29.8 percent increase. And the Veloster hatchback sold 12,849 units for the year — a gain of more than 18 percent.
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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.