Hyundai and Kia see 18 percent sales growth in September

Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp.'s headquarters in Yangjae, southern Seoul. [HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP

Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Wednesday their vehicle sales in the United States rose 18 percent in September from a year earlier on strong sales of SUVs and electric vehicles.

Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 142,869 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up from 120,642 units a year ago. Hyundai's figures include the sales results of its independent Genesis brand.

Hyundai's vehicle sales rose 17.5 percent on-year to 59,465 units, with Genesis' sales jumping 35 percent at 6,644 and Kia's sales up 19.5 percent at 67,264, according to sales data released by the companies.

In the July-September period, the two carmakers' vehicle sales climbed 12 percent on-year to 430,302 units in the world's most important automobile market.

Hyundai's sales gained 10 percent at 219,961 units, including Genesis' 19,427 units, during the same period. Kia's sales went up 14 percent at 210,341 autos.

Yonhap