In 2018, Hyundai brand sales increased slightly to 677,946 vehicles but Genesis sales nearly halved. The Elantra and Tucson were the favorite Hyundai models in the US.
In December 2018, Hyundai Motor America reported sales of Hyundai- and Genesis-branded vehicles of 65,721 units, a 3 percent increase in comparison with December 2017 and the best December sales month in company history. Retail sales in December were also up 4 percent. Hyundai closed the year strong with total sales increasing in seven out of the last eight months.
Hyundai Motor America 2018 Sales
Hyundai Motor America reported the following sales for Hyundai and Genesis branded car sales for December 2018 and the full year 2018:
| Brand | Dec-18 | Dec-17 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Hyundai | 65,107 | 61,646 | 667,634 | 664,961 |
| Genesis | 614 | 1,948 | 10,312 | 20,594 |
| TOTAL | 65,721 | 63,594 | 677,946 | 685,555 |
For the full year, Hyundai and Genesis sold 677,946 vehicles, a 1 percent decline in comparison with 2017, while retail volume was up slightly on the year.
Hyundai-branded vehicle sales exceeded last year’s total, while Hyundai SUVs set an all-time annual record with more than 300,000 units sold, a 24 percent increase compared with 2017. SUV sales represented 45 percent of total sales, the highest SUV mix in Hyundai history. The Tucson led the way with 142,000 units sold, a 24 percent increase over 2017, making it Hyundai’s second highest volume model behind Elantra.
On the car front, Elantra yearly sales were up 1 percent with more than 200,000 units sold and Ioniq was up 35 percent on the year.
Hyundai December Brand Highlights
Hyundai-branded vehicle sales increased by 6 percent in December, in large part due to the highest SUV sales month in company history of 35,058 units sold, a 42 percent increase over December 2017. This was the fifth month in a row Hyundai established a new monthly SUV sales mark, while retail SUV sales mix reached an all-time high of 53 percent.Â
Tucson set a monthly record for the 22nd month in a row, with a 32 percent increase, and Kona sold more than 8,000 units, its highest monthly total yet and a 39 percent increase compared with last month, November 2018. Retail sales of the all-new 2019 Santa Fe were also up 46 percent versus the prior year. Sonata (up 2 percent), Veloster (up 54 percent) and Ioniq (up 40 percent) rounded out the Hyundai models with gains on the month.
“Hyundai had a strong close to the year, setting our December sales total record and increasing retail sales for the year,” said John Cook, director, Sales Operations, Hyundai Motor America. “In 2018 we focused on reinventing and expanding our SUV lineup and customers responded in the second half of the year with SUV retail mix exceeding 50 percent for the first time in December. These vehicles, along with our diverse car lineup put us in a position to pick up market share in 2019.”
Hyundai Model Sales in the US in 2018
Sales per model for Hyundai and Genesis in December 2018 and full year 2018 were as follows:
| Vehicle | Dec-18 | Dec-17 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Accent | 3,830 | 5,205 | 29,090 | 58,955 |
| Azera | 2 | 141 | 628 | 3,060 |
| Elantra | 15,076 | 21,350 | 200,415 | 198,210 |
| Ioniq | 1,275 | 908 | 15,076 | 11,197 |
| Kona | 8,319 | 0 | 47,090 | 0 |
| Nexo | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Santa Fe | 11,347 | 13,146 | 117,038 | 133,171 |
| Sonata | 8,705 | 8,508 | 105,118 | 131,803 |
| Tucson | 15,384 | 11,633 | 142,299 | 114,735 |
| Veloster | 1,161 | 755 | 10,871 | 12,658 |
Genesis Model Sales
| Vehicle | Dec-18 | Dec-17 | 2018 YTD | 2017 YTD |
| G70 | 229 | 0 | 409 | 0 |
| G80 | 305 | 1,542 | 7,663 | 16,196 |
| G90 | 80 | 406 | 2,240 | 4,398 |
Car Sales in the USA 2018 by Brand
- Audi
- BMW (including Mini)
- FCA (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Fiat)
- Ford (including Lincoln)
- General Motors (GM including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC)
- Honda (including Acura)
- Hyundai (including Genesis)
- Kia
- Mazda
- Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes, AMG, Smart)
- Mitsubishi
- Nissan (including Infiniti)
- Subaru
- Toyota (including Lexus)
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
About Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.
