Seoul: Hyundai Motor Group announced a significant increase in its U.S. sales, with a 12.1 percent rise in September compared to the previous year. This growth is attributed to exceptional electric vehicle (EV) sales, despite ongoing tariff challenges.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the group reported that its combined sales in the United States reached 143,367 units last month. Hyundai Motor Co., which includes its luxury brand Genesis, achieved sales of 77,860 units, representing a 12.8 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, Kia Corp. experienced an 11.2 percent rise, selling 65,507 units.

EV sales hit a new monthly record of 17,269 units, despite the expiration of the US$7,500 EV tax credit at the end of August. Hyundai Motor’s EV sales surged by 141 percent to 11,052 units, while Kia’s EV sales increased by 51.4 percent to 6,217 units. Additionally, the group’s hybrid sales grew by 56.2 percent to 27,431 units, contributing to a total of 44,701 eco-friendly vehicle sales in September-a 70.9 percent increase from the same period last year.

In terms of individual vehicle performance, Hyundai’s Tucson SUV emerged as the top seller with 17,569 units sold, followed by the Elantra sedan and the Santa Fe SUV, with sales of 13,808 units and 10,114 units, respectively. Kia’s leading model was the Sportage SUV, with 14,515 units sold, followed by the K4 and the Telluride, with sales figures of 8,829 units and 8,408 units, respectively.

During the July-September quarter, Hyundai and Kia’s combined sales in the U.S. totaled 481,750 units, marking a 12 percent increase from the previous year and achieving their highest third-quarter sales on record.