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 and Kia recorded divergent global sales results for August. While Hyundai Motor saw its domestic sales plummet by more than 40%—driven by production disruptions due to a union strike—leading to a double-digit decline in overall sales, Kia achieved a 5% rise in global sales on the strength of its overseas sales growth.

According to Hyundai Motor Group on September 1, Hyundai Motor sold a total of 288,574 units globally in August, including 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 by 41.1%, while overseas sales fell by 8.5%.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Yangjae Headquarters. Hyundai Motor Group

The decline was especially sharp in the domestic market. Hyundai Motor cited production disruptions caused by a union strike and a build-up of waiting demand for new models as the main reasons for the decline in August sales. Among sedans, the Grandeur was the top seller with 5,931 units sold. In the recreational vehicle (RV) segment, 3,596 Santa Fes, 1,812 Palisades, and 1,372 Ioniq 5s were sold. Genesis sales totaled 4,545 units.

Kia, on the other hand, sold a total of 266,675 units in August: 40,213 units domestically, 225,413 units overseas, and 1,049 special-purpose vehicles. This marks a 5.0% increase from the same period a year ago. While domestic sales fell by 7.6%, overseas sales increased by 7.4%, lifting the company's overall performance.

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

In the domestic market, the Sorento was the top seller for Kia with 6,397 units sold. Other strong performers in the RV category included the Carnival with 4,186 units, the Sportage with 3,874 units, and the Seltos with 3,307 units, all of which contributed to overall sales. Kia explained that the domestic sales decline was largely due to a reduced number of working days during the summer vacation period.

The two automakers also saw a clear divergence in cumulative sales from January to August this year. Hyundai Motor sold a total of 2,575,360 units—including 399,159 units domestically and 2,176,201 units overseas—representing a 6.0% decrease year-on-year. Kia sold a total of 2,196,123 units—comprising 390,596 domestic units, 1,800,865 overseas units, and 4,662 special-purpose vehicles—marking a 4.4% increase over the same period last year.

Hyundai Motor is aiming for a sales recovery in the second half of the year through new model launches. A Hyundai Motor official stated, "We aim to expand our market share based on new models recently launched, such as The New Grandeur and The All New Avante."

Kia plans to pursue region-specific sales strategies in overseas markets. In particular, the company expects to maintain growth by focusing on hybrid vehicles in the United States and electric vehicles in Europe.

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