Sedans, not SUVs, behind Hyundai's recent success in this country, says CEO
When most carmakers around the world are focussing more on SUVs amid growing demand, Hyundai seem to be walking a different path, at least in United States. The carmaker recorded an impressive 56 per cent growth last month in terms of sales, thanks mostly to some of its sedans, apart from the SUVs.
Jose Munoz, COO of Hyundai Motor globally, said that the Korean carmaker's sedans, coupled with smart planning has helped it succeed even amid the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain issues.
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Sedans, not SUVs, seem to be one of the X factors for the carmaker's success in US recently. During an interview with one of the US publications, Munoz said, "There are many, many customers that still prefer a sedan vehicle versus an SUV for many reasons. So, in our case, we took the decision to invest heavily on the latest and greatest technologies into the passenger cars."
In May this year, Hyundai sold 90,017 vehicles and once again set an all-time monthly sales record for the third consecutive month in the US. Hyundai Elantra and Sonata remain two of the favourite sedans for its US customers, and Tucson and Santa Fe among its SUVs.
Hyundai Elantra, which was recently awarded the North American Car of the Year, is the Korean carmaker's second best-selling vehicle in US with 18,821 units sold in May. The sales figure is slightly less than Hyundai's most popular offering - Tucson SUV - which recorded 18,848 units last month.
Hyundai Sonata, the other sedan from the Korean carmaker, has also done impressively with 13,487 units in May. The sedan, together with Elantra, has helped Hyundai mop up another record month in terms of sales.
Hyundai's performance in US is quite the opposite to what it is in some of the other markets, where its SUVs are mostly pulling sales numbers. In India, Creta mid-size SUV along with its sub-compact sibling Venue, continue to dominate Hyundai's sales charts. Besides SUVs, Hyundai's hatchbacks are also loved by the Indian customers as the recently launched Grand i10 Nios remains one of the most popular premium hatchbacks in the country.
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