FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America reported February sales of 45,612 units, a 2 percent increase in comparison with February 2018 and the seventh straight month of increasing sales for Hyundai. Retail sales in February grew 6 percent as Hyundai's SUV portfolio continues to resonate with customers, while fleet deliveries were down 9 percent. Hyundai sales in 2019 are off to a strong start, up 2 percent on the year.





February Highlights

Hyundai sold 25,024 SUVs, representing 55 percent of the total sales volume. This was an all-time February SUV sales record with an increase of 38 percent compared with February 2018 and the seventh consecutive monthly SUV sales record. Santa Fe and Santa Fe XL total sales grew by 5 percent, while retail sales of Santa Fe were up 35 percent. Tucson established its February sales record with 9,411 units sold, up 12 percent compared with last year. Kona, the recently named North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, rounded out the SUV sales story with sold 5,686 units sold, including the start of Kona Electric sales. Veloster was also up 15 percent, while the Veloster N continues to receive rave reviews from customers, media and automotive enthusiasts.



"February was a positive month for Hyundai as we achieved a 6 percent increase in retail sales and as a result expect to gain retail market share," said John Cook, director, Sales Operations, Hyundai Motor America. "Our revamped product lineup is driving consumer interest as we've increased sales in each of the past seven months. Our vehicles continue to win some of the most important industry honors for performance, design, quality and cost-to-own leadership. Combine that with the efforts of our dealers to improve the customer experience and improving residual values, and we are optimistic for continued retail success throughout the rest of 2019."



February Product and Corporate Activities



Kona Awards: The accolades continue to roll in for Kona as U.S. News & World Report named it the best subcompact SUV for the money, while Edmunds honored the Kona Electric as the Editors' Choice for Best EV. This follows Kona winning the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year and being selected as a Car and Driver 10Best Truck and SUV. 

First Kona EV Delivery: Hyundai marked a milestone with its first Kona Electric sale to Donald Small, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric oncologist and director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center's Division of Pediatric Oncology.

Northern California NEXO Sale: Hyundai also celebrated its first NEXO fuel cell SUV delivery in Northern California to Dr. Steven Vo at Capitol Hyundai in San Jose. He become the first Northern California customer to drive off in the all-new NEXO, the only mass-produced fuel cell SUV for the U.S. market, boasting a range up to 380 miles.

Santa Fe Most Dependable Midsize SUV: Santa Fe received the distinct honor of being named the most dependable midsize SUV in the J.D. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The annual Vehicle Dependability Study shows Santa Fe ranked highest in its class, beating out leading competitors in the 2016 model year.

Santa Fe Long-Term Ownership Value Award: The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe also received the 2019 Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own Award for the mid-size SUV/crossover (2-row) class.

Veloster N Wins MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Award: MotorWeek awarded the Veloster N the 2019 Drivers' Choice Award for Best Sport Coupe. The annual MotorWeek competition has been ongoing consecutively for 38 years.

Best Performing Automotive Super Bowl Commercial: Consumers ranked Hyundai's Super Bowl ad, "The Elevator," the fourth best commercial overall and No. 1 automotive ad on USA TODAY's Ad Meter.



Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.