Seoul, Feb 4 || Hyundai Motor and Kia reported record vehicle sales for January in the United States, driven by strong demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and hybrid models, the automakers said on Wednesday.
The two automakers sold a combined 125,296 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the companies, reports news agency.
Hyundai Motor, including its luxury brand Genesis, sold 60,794 units, up 2.4 percent on-year, while Kia's sales jumped 13.1 percent to 64,502 units. Both brands marked their highest-ever sales for the month of January.
Hyundai Motor's performance was backed by strong SUV sales. Palisade SUV sales climbed 28.7 percent on-year to 8,604 units, while those of the Kona compact SUV rose 21.9 percent to 5,321 units.
The sales boost of Kia was supported by sharp gains across key models. Sales of the Seltos compact SUV spiked 85.8 percent to 5,278 units, and those of the Carnival minivan soared 60.4 percent to 5,879 units.