Eco-friendly SUVs Are the Trend... Sales Volume Doubles Rapidly

Kia Sorento Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] This year, sales of eco-friendly SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have surged compared to last year.

According to Hyundai and Kia on the 5th, the total number of hybrid, electric, and hydrogen SUVs sold domestically by the two companies from the beginning of this year to November reached 119,054 units, a 1.9-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

This is the first time that Hyundai and Kia's annual sales of eco-friendly SUVs have exceeded 100,000 units. Last year's annual sales were 72,301 units.

Hyundai sold 56,102 eco-friendly SUVs, a 2.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year, while Kia sold 62,952 units, a 51.6% increase compared to last year.

The growth in eco-friendly SUV sales was driven mainly by hybrid models.

The total number of hybrid SUVs sold by Hyundai and Kia was 70,841 units, accounting for 59.5% of all eco-friendly SUV sales. By model, Kia's Sorento was the best-selling, with 30,315 units sold, a 42.7% increase compared to last year.

Following were Hyundai's Tucson Hybrid (14,451 units) and Kia's Niro Hybrid (10,096 units).

The dedicated electric SUVs launched this year, such as the Ioniq 5 and EV6, also contributed significantly to the popularity. The total number of electric SUVs sold by Hyundai and Kia until November was 40,007 units, a 3.6-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

According to their carbon neutrality strategy, Hyundai and Kia plan to further increase the sales and production of electric SUVs next year, so sales are expected to grow even more.