Seoul, May 2 Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia said on Friday their combined vehicle sales in the United States surged 16 per cent in April from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 162,615 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up from 139,865 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data.
Hyundai's vehicle sales jumped 19 percent to 81,503 units from 74,111 over the cited period, while those of Kia advanced 14 percent to 74,805 from 65,754, reports Yonhap news agency.
Hyundai's sales figures include those of its independent luxury brand, Genesis. Strong sales of Hyundai's Palisade and Santa Fe, as well as Kia's Telluride and Sportage SUV models contributed to the robust monthly performance.
"Reporting sales records for seven consecutive months has bolstered the Kia brand even more and we remain dedicated to further strengthening our product lineup and enhancing customer satisfaction through ongoing innovation," Eric Watson, vice president in charge of sales operations at Kia America, said in a press release.
To that end, Kia has officially begun production of the EV6 and EV9 at its manufacturing facility in Georgia, where both models qualify for federal tax incentives, he said.
From January to April, the two carmakers sold a combined 582,527 autos in the U.S. market, up 12 percent from 519,067 units in the same period last year, the data showed.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor has introduced a revamped version of its Xcient heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell truck at a clean transport exhibition in the United States.
The revamped Xcient is tailored to meet a wide range of customer needs, including port transportation and medium-distance logistics. It is powered by a 180 kilowatt-hour (kWh) hydrogen fuel cell system.
For hydrogen storage, it is fitted with 10 tanks that together hold approximately 68 kilograms of hydrogen, enabling the vehicle to support a wide range of commercial transportation needs.
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