LOS ANGELES — Hyundai Motor America was quick out of the gate when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, rolling out sales promotions, bolstering dealer cash flow and setting retail sales records as fleet fell off a cliff.
But the automaker's optimism waned last month as COVID-19 surged across the U.S.
"The first 10 days of the month were quite brisk," said Randy Parker, Hyundai brand's vice president of national sales. "But then, in the third week, things started to slow down. COVID was starting to raise its ugly head, hospitalizations were going up, and we were really concerned going into Black Friday weekend."