Hyundai and Kia each achieved their best July sales result in the United States, extending their growth streak to a third consecutive month. The overall gains were driven mainly by hybrids, while loveral electric models posted substantial year-over-year declines.
Hyundai sold 82,480 vehicles in the United States during July, up 3% from the same month last year. The Sonata Hybrid, Elantra Hybrid and Tucson each set July sales records, helping Hyundai post its strongest July result for hybrid sales.
The Tucson was Hyundai's best-selling model with 19,714 deliveries. The Elantra ranked second with 17,115 sales, followed by the Santa Fe with 13,373 units. These high-volume models supported the brand's overall result as its electric lineup moved in the opposite direction.
Hyundai delivered 76 Ioniq 6 sedans during the month, an 82% year-over-year decline and the lowest total of any Hyundai model listed in the source. Regular Ioniq 6 trims had been discontinued in the United States, leaving only a limited number of Ioniq 6 N vehicles available to customers.
The Ioniq 5 recorded 3,636 July sales, down 38% from a year earlier, while the Ioniq 9 reached 700 customers, a decline of 35%. From January through July, Ioniq 5 sales totaled 24,366 units, down 2%. The Ioniq 9 reached 5,558 sales during the same period, up 166%, while the Ioniq 6 fell 82% to 1,317 units.
Kia sold 75,857 vehicles in July, 7% more than in the same month last year. Its hybrid models posted record sales and increased 108% year over year. Sportage sales rose 76%, while the Carnival Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid each gained 16%.
The Sportage was Kia's best-selling model overall, with 16,083 deliveries. The K4/Forte followed with 12,094 sales, and the Telluride recorded 11,816 units. Kia's electric models did not match that momentum: the EV6 finished July with 674 sales, down 47%, while the EV9 reached 1,650 sales, down 5%.
Results for the first seven months were stronger for the EV9, which reached 8,685 sales, a 30% increase from the same period last year. The EV6 totaled 4,717 units from January through July, representing a 34% decline.
The source connected the increase in hybrid demand with U.S. gasoline prices moving above $4 per gallon. It also cited the end of the $7,500 federal tax credit for buyers of new electric vehicles as part of the market context. For the coming months, it pointed to Hyundai's recent Ioniq 5 N price reduction and to more affordable models under development by Ford and Slate, without giving exact prices, launch dates or sales forecasts.
