Hyundai, Kia's US sales rise 17.4% on-year in October on hybrid demand

Hyundai Motor's Tucson SUV / Courtesy of Hyundai Morotr Combined vehicle sales of Hyundai Motor and Kia in the United States climbed 17.4 percent on-year in October thanks to increased demand for the automakers' hybrid models, the companies said Monday. The companies' combined U.

S. sales totaled 147,613 units last month, up 17.4 percent from a year earlier, marking the highest combined sales for any previous October.



Hyundai Motor, including Genesis models, sold 78,705 units, up 18.3 percent, while Kia sales gained 16.5 percent to 68,908 units.

The companies' eco-friendly vehicle sales surged 52 percent on-year to 31,668 units. Hybrid vehicles led the segment with an impressive 64.9 percent jump to 21,679 units, setting a new monthly record.

Hybrid versions of Hyundai's Tucson SUV and Kia's Carnival minivan, in particular, achieved strong sales growth last month, with the Tucson hybrid logging a 110 percent sales increase to 6,790 units and the Carnival hybrid model selling 1,941 units. (Yonhap).