August 2009 Hyundai & Kia Sales - Record Month's for both

Kia Press Release said:

IRVINE, Calif., September 1, 2009 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced all-time record monthly sales of 40,198 in August, up 37 percent over July and 60.4 percent year over year from August 2008. Offering an array of standard technology features, the highly stylized and popular all-new 2010 Soul urban passenger vehicle and all-new 2010 Forte compact sedan helped attract buyers to the brand, as did an increase in foot traffic through dealerships nationwide due in part to the government-sponsored C.A.R.S. program. August sales were led by the Kia Sportage and Kia Optima, selling 7,558 and 7,461 units respectively.

“Our relative market share increase tied to the vehicles included in the C.A.R.S. program is among the top three brands in the industry,” said Tom Loveless, vice president of sales, KMA.

Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time. The all-new 2010 Forte and Forte Koup, which replaced the Spectra, Kia’s best-selling model, further reinforces the design revolution brought on by the all-new, award-winning 2010 Soul urban passenger vehicle. The Soul began changing consumer perception of Kia as soon as it arrived in showrooms this spring, from a brand known for delivering safe and fuel efficient vehicles at a tremendous value to one now combining those attributes with modern technologies and eye-catching design. These new vehicles have attracted discerning and smart shoppers to Kia showrooms and have contributed to the brand’s continued upward momentum as the brand continues to gain market share in the U.S. The upcoming launch of the all-new 2011 Sorento CUV, the first vehicle to be built at the company’s first U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia, will further enhance the lineup.

“The C.A.R.S. program attracted new customers to Kia; those that didn’t necessarily want or need a new car, but were enticed by C.A.R.S. to buy a car that would last,” said Loveless. “These buyers, often with better credit, are a solid sign of a significant positive change in brand perception and a tribute to the entire Kia vehicle line.”

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freep.com said:

"We expect Hyundai and Kia to gain significant market share, about 3.5% over the next four years," the report said.

Half of Hyundai's vehicles are assembled at its assembly plant in Alabama, Krafcik said. Kia is to begin production at a new assembly plant in Georgia later this year.

Hyundai plans to launch seven new products over the next 24 months, Krafcik said.

So far this year, Hyundai's sales are down only 0.7% compared with last year and Kia's sales are up 3%.

For the year through August, the Korean group has a 7.5% combined market share while Chrysler is at 9.2% -- down from 11% during the same period last year, according to Autodata Corp.

Krafcik noted that a few years ago, Hyundai was on about 10% of shoppers' consideration lists. That has risen to about 30%.

He expects Hyundai U.S. sales to end the year at least on par with last year -- if not be better. That's impressive considering industry U.S. sales are down 32.1% so far this year.

According to Edmunds, 19.4% of buyers that switched from a previous brand to Hyundai in August came from Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep brands. About 23% came from Ford. A little more than 12% came from Chevrolet and 3% from Toyota.

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