Could Hyundai Benefit From RAV4 Shortage? Hyundai Targets U.S. SUV Market With New Tucson

RAV4 Production Disrupted During New-Model Transition
Meanwhile, Honda and Hyundai Boost Sales
Tucson U.S. Sales Up 31.8% in September

With the Toyota RAV4 facing supply shortages in the United States, attention is turning to whether the Hyundai Tucson will benefit. Hyundai Motor plans to launch the new Tucson in the U.S. early next year to strengthen its push in the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) market.

According to Cox Automotive, a U.S. auto market research firm, the RAV4 had 24 days' worth of inventory as of September, well below the 82-day average for the U.S. new-car market. That was also 11 days less than the Toyota brand's overall average of 35 days. Inventory days estimate how long a vehicle stock would take to sell at the recent sales pace; a lower figure means inventory is smaller relative to sales.

The RAV4 shortage is believed to stem from delays in retooling production facilities for the fully redesigned model. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Toyota delayed retooling for production of the new model last year, extending production of the existing model in response to strong demand.

From January through September this year, U.S. sales of the RAV4 fell 29.2% from the same period a year earlier to 253,664 units. Meanwhile, sales of its rival, the Honda CR-V, rose 9.5% to 336,844 units, overtaking the RAV4, which was the best-selling SUV in the U.S. last year.

The Tucson also continued to post strong sales. U.S. sales reached 181,687 units over the same period, up 10.0%. Sales in September alone rose 31.8% year over year to 23,164 units. That month, CR-V sales increased 21.9% while RAV4 sales fell 6.6%, making the Tucson's sales growth the strongest among the three models.

The all-new Tucson. Hyundai Motor.

Hyundai Motor aims to expand sales with the fifth-generation All-New Tucson, its first full redesign in six years. The new Tucson, set to launch in the U.S. early next year, features a next-generation hybrid system and Pleos Connect, Hyundai Motor's in-house infotainment platform. The vehicle is larger, offering more interior space, and its driving performance and fuel efficiency have also been improved. In South Korea, the model received 15,045 orders on the first day of reservations on October 21, surpassing the previous record of 10,842 first-day orders for the fourth-generation model.

Hyundai Motor President Jose Munoz said at the new Tucson's world premiere in New York on October 1, "There is no limit to sales." He added, "Demand is so strong that dealers in the U.S. ask us every day to allocate more vehicles. The Tucson will achieve record sales."

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