Hyundai Motor America December 2009

[Justin Bimmer]

Hyundai Motor America Reports December and Full-year 2009 Sales

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FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America today announced December sales of 33,797, up more than 40 percent versus December 2008. For the full year, Hyundai reported 435,064 sales, up eight percent over the prior year total. Car of the Year Genesis set the tone for the month, recording an all-time, any-time, sales record in December.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091001/HYUNDAILOGO)

"Our ability to outperform the general market, realize retail market share increases every single month during 2009, and achieve what we believe to be the biggest market share gain in the industry was a real feat during these difficult market conditions," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's vice president of national sales.

"We are looking forward to 2010 and have reason to be optimistic," added Zuchowski. "Led by our strongest product lineup ever, highlighted by the all-new Tucson and all-new Sonata -- and more great products in the pipeline -- the ranking by the EPA as the most fuel-efficient car company in America, and the enhanced Hyundai Assurance program, it's clear that we're already off to a great start in 2010."

For details about Hyundai Assurance please visit www.hyundaiusa.com. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by The Hyundai Advantage, America's Best Warranty. Hyundai buyers are protected by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty and 5-year/unlimited-mile roadside assistance protection.

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 790 dealerships nationwide.

CARLINE DEC/2008 DEC/2009 CY/2008 CY/2009

------- -------- -------- ------- -------

ACCENT 1,833 4,149 50,431 68,086

------ ----- ----- ------ ------

SONATA 6,593 10,485 117,357 120,028

------ ----- ------ ------- -------

ELANTRA 2,635 5,763 94,720 103,269

------- ----- ----- ------ -------

TIBURON 412 7 9,111 8,587

------- --- --- ----- -----

SANTA FE 6,289 9,264 70,994 80,343

-------- ----- ----- ------ ------

AZERA 347 330 14,461 3,808

----- --- --- ------ -----

TUCSON 874 903 19,027 15,411

------ --- --- ------ ------

ENTOURAGE 3,065 11 8,470 3,433

--------- ----- --- ----- -----

VERACRUZ 949 531 11,004 10,210

-------- --- --- ------ ------

GENESIS 1,040 2,354 6,167 21,889

------- ----- ----- ----- ------

TOTAL 24,037 33,797 401,742 435,064

----- ------ ------ ------- -------

[smk4565]

Finally the Genesis is picking up some, although $40,000 for a Hyundai is still a tough sell I assume. But all along I've though the purpose of the Genesis was not to sell a lot of cars, it was to help Hyundai sell Sonatas, Elentras, and Santa Fes, and so far that is working. This is why Cadillac needs a flagship ($90,000 territory), because even if they only sell 5,000 a year, it gives the brand credibility.

[Satty]

It would be nice if they separated Genesis coupe and sedan sales, since they're completely different cars.

[regfootball]

Hyundai is the new Toyota.

[smk4565]

Hyundai is the new Toyota.

Indeed they are, but their cars aren't as boring. Hyundai in 10 years could be as big as Toyota is today.

[daves87rs]

Hyundai is the new Toyota.

At this point they are better than toyota was/is.

[regfootball]

well the new sonata should do wonders for encroaching on the camry.

it's interesting, in another thread i commented how the mazda6 sales were sucking arse and its a good car. i really am not a huge mazda fan but i think its rather sad that even mazda gets pushed aside once consumer hype starts to build around another fellow asian appliance brand.

Honda probably has the most loyal Asian car customer base. Honda fans are almost in need of a 6 step treatment plan to get rid of their unhealthy honda love. What is happening with Hyundai has been built on a few things i think,

a-general boredom with toyota. many folks who heard the hype for years have now owned their first one and probably came to the conclusion that its an unemotional, replaceable appliance.

b-the minor chinks and now bigger chinks of the reliability armor and part of it being documented even in CR has the holier than thou educated feeling like they need to find a new savior and that is Hyundai (they have been getting more praise in CR now).

c-even though hyundai prices have been rising fast, they are still cheaper and the dealers are likely a lot friendlier.

d-'the warranty' although a misrepresentation of what you are really in for has become an indentifier and an edge for the brand and toyota chooses not to meet it.

e-some creativity on hyundai with the promotions, i.e. we'll make your payments when it was really timely.

f-everyone is always trying to find the upstart, the next big thing. Hyundai is it now.

g-hyundai and kia have quietly really expanded their dealer base, sales and marketing, and upgraded their showrooms

h-fleet dumping......actually is working hyundai flooded the rental lots and exposed their cars to lots of business people and others who have cash and buy cars. who said rental sales was bad? Hyundai doesn't care much right now about resale....most of their sales from 2 years ago were at absurdly low prices so the used ones on the market now couldn't go down that much more and are good deals used, but it also has allowed them to raise a lot of the the prices of the new stuff

j-having a true flagship like the genesis helps a bunch for cred

Kia is following a parallel path but you notice they are making headway with cars like the Forte, to erode the civic and corolla, and cars like the Soul, to steal scion and crossover business. Also quietly Kia upgraded the Sorento and added the cheesy Borrego, to round out that lineup. Kia and Hyundai's product do not cross all that much anymore so its like a codependent punch.

You keep reading stories a lot lately about the signs of trouble toyota is having and how they are shuffling the deck of the titanic with their execs and stuff and honestly it seems to me like maybe Toyota hasn't got quite enough steam to meet this head on....

If toyota hadn't been wasting so much time on Lexus, and Scions, and IS-F's and LFA's and rwd compact coupes..........

toyota got caught with their pants down, rushing to fill everything because they were expanding but now I think they might take a hurt while Hyundai does the expansion game....

[smk4565]

I agree on people seeing that Toyota is bland and not as great as it is hyped up to be, but Toyota still sells a fair number of cars. The Camry outsold the Silverado in 2009, so it doesn't seem like Toyota is suffering, but I do think Hyundai/Kia can hurt Scion. Chrysler falling apart and Saturn and Pontiac closing helps a lot too. Value pricing in a recession is definitely big, followed by fresh, new products. Kia Forte and Soul and the Genesis sedan/coupe are bringing new people into the brand.

[regfootball]

i would bet most old saturn facilities got replaced with kia or hyundai. in one case i know, VW. Subaru is quietly growing too. GM really wanted to keep saturn for dealer presence but now they have to try to sell the same number of cars or more with a lot less physical presence on the retail strip. hyundai and kia basically stole all that.