Hyundai and Kia set sales records for November, reporting a combined 9 percent gain for the month, bolstered by fatter discounts and higher demand for compact cars and crossovers.
Hyundai Motor America sales rose 4.2 percent to 62,507 vehicles, which includes 1,306 vehicles sold under the Genesis luxury division.
TrueCar estimates Hyundai’s incentives rose 13 percent in November to $2,478 per vehicle, compared with November 2015.
Hyundai’s small cars saw major gains. Sales of the compact Veloster hatchback surged 69 percent to 3,721, and subcompact Accent deliveries increased 37 percent to 6,909. Sales of the compact Elantra dropped 10 percent to 15,796.
The brand’s crossovers also had a strong month, with Tucson sales rising 10 percent to 7,616 and Santa Fe volume improving 18 percent to 10,786.
Overall, Hyundai’s sales rose 2 percent to 61,201 compared with November 2015, excluding the Genesis G80 and G90 models.
Kia results
Kia Motors America also posted strong results for November, with volume rising 15 percent to 52,504 vehicles.
Small cars drove Kia’s success, with sales of the subcompact Rio rising 60 percent to 1,440 and the compact Forte up 62 percent to 8,111. The top-selling subcompact Soul saw a volume increase of 24 percent to 12,482.
Kia’s U.S. incentives rose 5.8 percent last month to $3,164 per vehicle compared with November 2015, TrueCar estimates.
Kia’s light trucks also had a positive month. Sales of the Sportage crossover rose 33 percent to 5,608 while sales of the larger Sorento increased 7.5 percent to 9,698. Deliveries of the Sedona minivan jumped 12 percent to 2,515.
The brand’s larger cars were the sole losers in November. Sales of the Optima were down 5.5 percent to 12,330, and the Cadenza dropped 68 percent to 268. K900 sales plummeted 77 percent to 52.
