Rollin' Hybrid

Hyundai Motor's Sonata Hybrid.
Hyundai Motor's Sonata Hybrid.

 

Hybrid vehicles built by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors are enjoying a lot of popularity in the U.S. market, whereas the sales volumes of the other carmakers’ hybrid cars are on the decline. Hyundai and Kia have sold 100,011 hybrid vehicles as of last month.

The Sonata Hybrid and the K5 Hybrid were released in the U.S. market in April and June 2011, respectively. The combined sales volume reached 13,491 units during their first year in the market, but increased to 27,641 in 2012 and 37,158 last year. In particular, the Sonata Hybrid was chosen by 2,800 customers in July 2014 alone, recording 27.3 percent growth from a year earlier.

The two companies’ excellent performance is even more conspicuous given that the sales of hybrid cars in the U.S. market decreased by 11 percent to 233,000 units between the first half of 2013 and 2014. In addition, the New Sonata Hybrid is scheduled to make its debut there early next year.

The Hyundai Motor Group entered the Korean hybrid car market in 2009 with hybrid versions of the Avante and Forte. Two years later, it released the Sonata and K5 Hybrid models to show a surge in sales. The hybrid models of the Grandeur and the K7 debuted in the Korean market late last year to provide customers with more models to choose from.

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