Divergent August Sales: Hyundai Hit Hard by Strike, Kia Performs Strongly Overseas

August Sales Results for Hyundai and Kia

Hyundai Falls 14.2% Year-on-Year Amid Domestic and Overseas Slump

Kia's Overseas Sales Up 7.4% Compared to Last Year

Sportage Leads with 46,239 Units Sold

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia reported divergent global sales results for August. Hyundai experienced a more than 40% plunge in domestic sales due to production disruptions caused by union strikes, resulting in a double-digit overall sales decline. In contrast, Kia saw a 5% increase in global sales, driven by rising overseas demand.

According to Hyundai Motor Group on September 1, Hyundai sold a total of 288,574 vehicles globally in August, broken down into 34,333 units in Korea and 254,241 units overseas. This represents a 14.2% decrease compared to the same period last year. Domestic sales dropped 41.1%, while overseas sales fell 8.5%.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Yangjae Headquarters. Hyundai Motor Group

The drop in domestic sales was particularly steep. Hyundai attributed the August decline primarily to production setbacks caused by union strikes and to pent-up demand for new models. Among passenger cars, the Grandeur led sales with 5,931 units, while in the RV segment, the Santa Fe sold 3,596 units, the Palisade 1,812 units, and the IONIQ 5 1,372 units. Genesis recorded sales of 4,545 units.

By contrast, Kia sold 262,675 vehicles in August, including 40,213 units in Korea, 225,413 units abroad, and 1,049 special-purpose vehicles. This marks a 5.0% increase from a year earlier. While domestic sales decreased by 7.6%, overseas sales rose by 7.4%, bolstering Kia's overall performance.

Kia's global sales were led by recreational vehicles (RVs) such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The Sportage was the top seller with 46,239 units, followed by the Seltos at 35,698 units and the Sorento at 18,404 units. Overseas, the Sportage led again with 42,365 units, trailed by the Seltos at 32,391 units and the K4 at 17,519 units.

Domestically, the Sorento sold the most with 6,397 units, while the Carnival (4,186 units), Sportage (3,874 units), and Seltos (3,307 units) drove RV sales that underpinned the company's results. Kia explained the decline in domestic sales by pointing to a reduction in working days caused by summer vacations.

The two companies' fortunes also diverged in cumulative sales from January to August of this year. Hyundai sold a total of 2,575,360 units—399,159 in Korea and 2,176,201 overseas—marking a 6.0% decline year-on-year. Kia sold 2,196,123 units over the same period—a 4.4% increase—comprising 390,596 units domestically, 1,800,865 units overseas, and 4,662 special-purpose vehicles.

Hyundai aims to recover sales in the second half of the year through the introduction of new models. A Hyundai official stated, "We will continue to expand our market share based on newly launched models such as the New Grandeur and the All-new Avante."

Kia, meanwhile, plans to maintain a sales strategy tailored to regional demand in overseas markets. The company aims to continue its growth in hybrid vehicle sales in the United States and electric vehicle sales in Europe, focusing on electrified vehicles in each respective market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.