August 2013: Hyundai Motor America

[William Maley]

Hyundai Motor America Reports Record August Sales

- Best August in company history

- Premium models soar with Equus up 47 percent, Genesis up 30 percent

- All-new Santa Fe up 79 percent, Elantra up 37 percent

COSTA MESA, Calif., Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America today announced an all-time August sales record of 66,101 units, up eight percent versus the same period in 2012. U.S.-built Santa Fe, Sonata and Elantra continue to be in hot demand, with dealer stock levels just half of competitor levels. Fleet mix for the month was 12 percent.

"You always hear about the strong summer selling months but it's still particularly gratifying to experience it first hand, as we did in August, leveraging high consumer demand with a great lineup of products to continue our string of record- breaking volume months," said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of national sales. "We have good momentum, innovative marketing and incentive support, excellent inventory balance, and a steadily improving economic climate so we feel pretty bullish about the final four-month home stretch of 2013."

Sales of Hyundai's three core U.S.-built models – Santa Fe, Sonata and Elantra – were up a combined 18 percent, and represented 75 percent of total sales this month. The all-new Santa Fe continues its strong sales pace with a 79 percent gain over last August. Consumers continue to be drawn to Elantra, ALG's highest residual value compact car for three straight years, with sales up 37 percent to 24,700. Sonata continues to be in high demand, but sales have been constrained by production capacity limitations at the Hyundai Alabama plant which is now running a three-shift, 24-hour-a-day operating pattern to meet demand. Both Sonata and Elantra are operating with less than a 30-day supply.

"With our U.S. plants setting another production record in August, our dealers are seeing some inventory relief, with more car transporters unloading fresh new Hyundai models at their dealerships," said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "Last month, we also saw the impact of improved Genesis and Equus availability, with Equus hitting an all-time sales record with the launch of the 2014 model and Genesis sales up 30 percent."

Certified Pre-Owned vehicle sales set an all-time, any-time record at 7,306, up 15 percent over August 2012. Hyundai's CPO program is recognized as one of the best in the industry, and is one of the drivers of Hyundai's 2013 top-two residual value ranking by ALG.