Kia America beat out its fraternal partner, Hyundai Motor America, in U.S. sales during July as carmakers issuing monthly sales figures reported strong sales of cars and alternative powertrain vehicles in the face of declining inventories.
Kia reported announced record July sales of 70,099 units, up 34% from the same period a year ago, following the company’s best first-half year sales in history. Sales in July were highlighted by best-ever sales for Carnival MPV and best July performances from K5, Sportage and Telluride, the automaker reported.
The Kia Carnival MPV posted its fourth consecutive month-over-month increase, marking the model’s highest monthly sales performance since it was introduced, the company noted.
“Kia continues to build on the momentum from our record breaking first-half by setting yet another record” said Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America. “Kia sold more than 74% of our available inventory in July as compared to 34% during the same period last year, a solid reflection of the strong consumer interest in the brand.”
Sibling success in July
Hyundai also enjoyed another solid month despite tight inventories.
“Hyundai and our retail partners continue to deliver significant sales volume and gain both retail and total market share,” said Randy Parker, senior vice president, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America.
“Our car and eco-friendly models drove July sales increases as consumers responded to our diversified and compelling lineup to find a vehicle that meets their transportation needs,” Parker said.
Hyundai established a new July retail sales record, with 61,227 retail sales, up 14 percent. Retail sales rose for the entire line-up with SUVs increasing by 4%, passenger cars by 36% and eco-friendly vehicles growing by 400 percent.
Eco-friendly vehicles also accounted for 12% of Hyundai’s retail sales volume in the United States, the South Korean automaker reported.
Toyota posted big gains
Toyota Motor North America reported U.S. July sales of 225,022 vehicles, up 33% on a volume basis. Toyota Division sales for the month totaled 193,855 vehicles, up 33%.
The Lexus Division sales for the month totaled 31,167 vehicles, also up 33%, which was the best July ever for the luxury brand and also the best-ever year-to-date sales for the brand, TMNA reported.
TMNA Alternative Powered Vehicle sales in July totaled 56,826, an increase of 84% from a year ago levels and the best-ever total recorded by the company. For the month, the APV sales accounted for more than 25% of total TMNA sales comparted to 18.2% in July 2020. Total AVP sales are up 136% year to date with Toyota divisions sales increasing 150% and Lexus APV sales increasing 55 percent.
American Honda sales topped 135,500 units in July despite inventory constraints limiting key models. It also posted its best-ever July truck sales while HR-V and Passport set sales records. The all-new Civic Sedan came out of the gate strong in July, selling nearly 30,000 units in its first full month on market.
Subaru struggles as inventory slides
Subaru of America Inc. today reported 51,458 vehicle sales for July 2020, a 20% decrease compared with record July 2019. These results reflect the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding economic recovery. Following eleven consecutive years of sales records, Subaru reported year-to-date sales of 318,572, a 21% decrease compared to the same period in 2019.
July marked the third consecutive month of 50,000-plus vehicle sales for the automaker. As the top performing carline by volume, Forester sales increased 4% in July 2020 compared with the same month a year ago. WRX/STI posted a 6% increase, while BRZ posted a nearly 60% increase compared to July 2019.
“Given our low supply of key models such as Forester, Outback, Crosstrek and Ascent, overall, we were extremely pleased with our sales results which were delivered by our retailers, who are also persevering through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Thomas J. Doll, president and CEO, Subaru of America Inc. Analysts from Cox Automotive and Wards Intelligence previously cautioned declining inventories on dealer lots could slow sales for the rest of the summer.
