6 Korean Vehicles Americans Couldn’t Get Enough Of In August

Over the years, summer has proven to be the season that is the hottest in terms of car sales.

The warm weather brings people out in droves, as do the new models and all of the dealer incentives that are put into place.

August proved to be a pretty spectacular month for the automotive industry.

New trends that have been emerging over the last year or two continued to take hold.

Sedans were still popular vehicles, but they saw their dominance quite heavily cut into by the crossover segment.

Korean cars sales – August 2015

The Hyundai Elantra and Sonata sedans led the way for the Koreans, but the sales of both remained flat when compared to the same period last year.

The same cannot be said for the crossover segment, which saw sales spike in August.

There are a couple of reasons why crossover vehicles did so well in the month of August.

First, the price of gas stayed lower than it has been for a while, helping with the sales of larger vehicles.

Secondly, the new 2016 models started arriving in showrooms.

Hyundai sales

It was a great month for Hyundai Motor America, as they managed to post their best August sales ever. The 72,012 units sold were a 3% increase over August 2014.

The all-new Tucson CUV saw sales increase by 25.5%, while the Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport saw increases of 30% and 18%, respectively.

Kia sales

Solid gains were also made by Kia Motors America, as they also had their best August sales ever.

Their 58,897 units sold was a 7.7% increase over last year.

It was a great month for the Kia Soul, as it achieved an all-time high 17,108 units sold.

The Optima and Sorento also did well, moving 13,980 and 10,211 units, respectively.

Let’s break it down by looking at the top 6 Korean vehicles in August:

1. Hyundai Elantra: 22,405 units

The Elantra compact car is available in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback variants in the US.

The performance of the Elantra is all the more impressive when you consider that a next-generation 2017 model is set to be unveiled in November.

2. Hyundai Sonata: 21,818 units

It has been something of a slow climb for the new Sonata since its U.S. market release, but it has now reached the same sales levels that were routinely achieved by the outgoing model.

3. Kia Soul (+ Soul EV): 17,108 + 95 units

It continues to be a real success story for the funky Kia Soul, with the popular boxy vehicle hitting its best monthly sales number ever. The only downside to the story is kind of sluggish sales performance of the all-electric Soul EV.

4. Kia Optima: 13,980 units

Another great result for Kia. Yes, the Optima sedan has always been a big seller for them, but this is another Korean vehicle that is getting a fully redesigned version coming before the end of the year.

5. Hyundai Santa Fe: 11,255 units

A big sales leap for the 7-seater crossover, with 11,255 units sold. That number represents a 21% increase over last August.

6. Kia Sorento 10,211 units

The new Kia Sorento is another crossover vehicle that is flexing its muscles. The 7-seat CUV managed 10,211 units sold in August, which was enough to get it into the top 6 for Korean vehicles sold in the US!