Hyundai and Kia set sales records in the United States in July 2026, driven by strong demand for hybrid models. Hyundai sold 82,480 vehicles in the country, up 4 percent from the previous year, while Kia sold 75,857 vehicles, a 7 percent increase. Sales of hybrid models rose 35 percent for Hyundai and surged 108 percent for Kia.
The Tucson crossover was Hyundai's top seller, with sales rising 20 percent to 19,714 vehicles. Sales of the Elantra grew 39 percent to 17,115 units, while Santa Fe sales reached 13,373 units. Hybrid versions of the Tucson, Elantra, and Sonata achieved their highest July sales figures on record. For Kia, record figures were recorded by the Sportage Hybrid, Seltos, Carnival Hybrid, Telluride, and the new K4 sedan.
Electric vehicle sales decline
Sales of electric vehicles fell significantly for both brand lineups. Hyundai Ioniq 6 sales dropped 92 percent from 949 to 76 vehicles, which the company attributed to stopping sales of base model trims. Deliveries of the Ioniq 5 decreased 38 percent, while the flagship Ioniq 9 declined 35 percent. Kia saw EV6 sales drop 47 percent to 674 vehicles, while EV9 sales fell 5 percent to 1,650 units.
Analysts linked the shift in consumer demand to several factors, led by the end of the 7,500 US dollar federal tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. Buyers are also increasingly choosing hybrid options as a more practical alternative. Despite the slowdown in electric car sales, Hyundai and Kia plan to continue developing electric models. Kia is preparing to launch the EV3 compact electric crossover, while Hyundai recently reduced the price of its performance Ioniq 5 N to boost demand, according to reports sourced from Notebookcheck.
