Hyundai, Kia's US sales drop on base effect, hybrid cars hit record high

Sales of Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles in the United States fell slightly from a year earlier, while numbers for hybrid vehicles rose to a new monthly high, the automaker said Monday. The Korean automakers sold a combined 159,216 vehicles in the key American market in April, down 2.1 percent on-year, according to the companies. Hyundai Motor sold 86,513 units, down 1.5 percent from the previous year. Its luxury vehicle brand Genesis sold 6,356 units, up 0.8 percent on-year. Kia's sales declined by 2.8 percent from the previous year to 72,703 units. The overall sales decline was due to a base effect from a sales surge last year, as customers rushed to purchase cars ahead of the imposition of Washington's auto tariffs, according to the company. Sales of eco-friendly cars, including electric vehicles (EVs), however, rose 47.6 percent on-year to 48,425 units. Demand for hybrid cars also grew by the sharpest 57.8 percent on-year, affected by the U.S. government's decision to terminate EV tax credits. EV sales rose slightly by 7.7 percent to 7,186 units, according to the carmakers.

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