New york: Hyundai Motor Group reported a modest increase of 0.1 percent in its U.S. sales for November, attributed largely to robust sales of gasoline hybrid models despite challenges from ongoing tariff pressures. The group's combined sales for the month reached 154,308 units, with Hyundai Motor Co. experiencing a slight decline of 2 percent to 82,306 units, while Kia Corp. saw a rise of 2.7 percent, selling 72,002 units.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Randy Parker, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America, stated in a press release that the company's SUV lineup, including the Tucson, Santa Fe, and the newly-launched Palisade, demonstrated significant growth, contributing to the overall sales figures. He also noted that the demand for hybrid vehicles remained strong, marking a new all-time monthly record for hybrid sales.

The carmakers' gasoline hybrid vehicle sales increased by 49 percent year-on-year, reaching 36,172 units in the U.S. market, which is considered one of the most critical automobile markets globally. Eric Watson, vice president of sales operations at Kia America, highlighted the impact of consumer demand shifting towards hybrid models, which has positioned Kia on the brink of achieving its third consecutive annual sales record.

Conversely, sales of electric vehicles (EVs) for Hyundai and Kia experienced a significant drop, falling 59 percent year-on-year to 4,618 units in November. Despite this, from January to November, the companies' combined U.S. sales rose by 8.1 percent to 1,673,772 vehicles. Hyundai's sales for this period increased by 8.7 percent to 896,620 units, while Kia's sales grew by 7.5 percent, amounting to 777,152 units. It is noted that Hyundai's sales figures include results for Genesis, its independent luxury brand.