Hyundai Motor Company and Kia are expected to achieve cumulative sales of 30 million units in the U.S. market by the end of this year.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia recorded cumulative sales of 29,303,995 units as of February since starting sales in the U.S. market in 1986. Hyundai sold 17,116,065 units, while Kia sold 12,187,930 units. Last year alone, Hyundai sold 911,805 units and Kia sold 796,488 units, with both companies achieving their highest-ever sales in the U.S., ranking fourth for two consecutive years after General Motors, Toyota, and Ford.

Hyundai Motor Company's and Kia's entry into the U.S. market began in January 1986, with Hyundai exporting the sedan "Excel" produced at its Ulsan plant. In 2005, their 20th year in the U.S. market, they completed their first local production plant in Alabama.

Kia established its U.S. sales subsidiary in 1992 and began selling the Sephia in February 1994 and the Sportage in November. In 2006, they held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Georgia plant in West Point, Georgia, and completed it in 2010 after a construction period of three years and one month.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia surpassed cumulative sales of 1 million units in 1990, then surpassed 5 million units in 2004. Seven years later, in 2011, they recorded 10 million units, and since then, they have exceeded annual sales of 1 million units each year, rapidly increasing sales and achieving a remarkable 20 million units in 2018.

Considering it took 25 years to surpass cumulative sales of 10 million units since starting sales in the U.S. in 1986, it is noteworthy that they achieved 20 million units in less than a third of that time.

The most sold model in the U.S. market for Hyundai is the "Elantra" (known as Avante locally). The Avante started selling in the U.S. in 1991 and sold 3.88 million units as of February. Next is the Sonata (3.42 million units), followed by the Santa Fe (2.38 million units) and Tucson (1.87 million units).

Kia's Sorento has sold 1.83 million units since starting sales in the U.S. in 2002. Following that are the Sportage (1.66 million units), Soul (1.52 million units), and K5 (1.5 million units).

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia diversified their sales lineup into sports utility vehicles (SUVs), Genesis, and eco-friendly cars compared to their early entry into the U.S. market, actively responding to market demand and focusing on improving sales and revenue.

Hyundai maintains a full SUV lineup from the small SUV Venue to the Kona, Tucson, and Santa Fe, and on to the large SUV Palisade. Kia has also established a full SUV lineup starting with the Seltos, followed by the Niro, Sportage, Sorento, and Telluride, strengthening competitiveness in the U.S. market where SUV popularity is high. Last year, Hyundai and Kia's SUV sales accounted for over 75% of total sales, reaching 1,284,066 units, driving new car sales.

The premium brand Genesis entered the U.S. market in 2016, targeting the premium car market.

Genesis sold 6,948 units in its first year of entering the U.S. market in 2016, steadily growing each year from 2021 to last year. Particularly last year, bolstered by strong sales of the GV70 and GV80, it sold 75,003 units, surpassing annual U.S. sales of 70,000 units for the first time and demonstrating rapid growth.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia are also focusing on electric vehicle sales to lead the transition to electrification in the U.S.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia entered the U.S. electric vehicle market in 2014 with the Kia Soul EV. The Hyundai Ioniq EV was released in 2017. Initially, their annual electric vehicle sales were around 1,000 units, but they recorded 19,590 units in 2021, starting to position themselves as major players in the electric vehicle market.

In 2022, the launch of new models such as the Ioniq 5 and EV6 based on the electric vehicle dedicated platform E-GMP, and the Genesis brand electric vehicles such as the G80 electrified model and GV60, led to a sharp increase in sales. Consequently, annual sales in 2022 recorded a staggering 337.5% increase compared to the previous year, reaching 58,028 units.

In 2023, they sold 94,340 units, achieving a record high of 123,861 units last year and becoming the first to surpass 100,000 electric vehicle sales annually in the U.S.

In terms of quality, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia are receiving positive reviews in the U.S. market.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have had four models recognized as North America's Car of the Year (NACTOY, The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year) over five years, including the Telluride in 2020, the Avante in 2021, the EV6 in 2023, and the EV9 in 2024. Additionally, in November last year, the U.S. market research firm J.D. Power announced that the Kona Electric won in the electric SUV division and the Telluride won in the three-row midsize SUV division at the 2025 Residual Value Awards.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia plan to expand their lineup and maintain high product value in the future while producing hybrid vehicles in the Hyundai Motor Group Meta Plant America (HMGMA), which started mass production last October, to quickly respond to the rapidly changing U.S. market.

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