Stellantis sales slump ends; Honda rebounds again; Hyundai, Kia advance 11th straight month

Honda said it ended June with about 35,000 light vehicles in stock on the ground, up slightly from 34,000 at the end of May but a sharp increase from the 10,500 on hand as June 2022 closed. Acura has 19,000 units in stock to start July, down from 21,000 at the start of June, but up from 4,200 in early July 2002.

U.S. sales rose for the 11th consecutive month in June at Hyundai and Kia, helped by rising inventories and more generous discounts tied to July 4 holiday promotions.

Hyundai said deliveries rose 10 percent to 69,351 last month, but retail sales, a strength for the brand in recent months, slipped 2 percent to 61,991.

Among Hyundai’s key models, June sales were mixed: Elantra, up 60 percent; Tucson, up 13 percent; Santa Fe, up 9 percent; Ioniq 5, up 10 percent; Palisade, down 14 percent; and Sonata, off 19 percent.

At Kia, June sales rose 8 percent to 70,495, capping a first half that produced record deliveries of 394,333, up 18 percent. Kia’s key models posted mixed results last month, with sales of the Forte, K5, Soul, Telluride and Seltos rising, but Sportage, Sorento and EV6 volume down.

Hyundai and Kia also continue to benefit from demand for new and redesigned electrified vehicles.

“Our strong retail partners and the right product at the right time have enabled us to attract new and existing customers to the Hyundai brand,” Hyundai Motor America CEO Randy Parker said in a statement.

Hyundai said it ended June with 49,329 cars and light trucks in stock, up from 47,671 at the close of May and 17,922 at the end of June 2022.

Genesis also remained on a roll last month, with sales jumping 33 percent to 6,003, marking its eighth straight month of higher sales and biggest gain since U.S. deliveries rose 53 percent in April 2022.

Hyundai Motor Group, with Hyundai, Genesis and Kia, has been a first-half “standout in the market,” Cox Automotive said in a statement. Combined first-half U.S. sales for the three brands rose 17 percent to 820,180, enough for Hyundai Motor Group to surpass Stellantis, with first half sales of 806,819, to become the market’s No. 4 seller after GM, Toyota and Ford.

Kia’s first-half retail sales rose 17 percent to 362,933. The company said total sales of electrified models jumped 40 percent and SUV deliveries increased 25 percent in the first half.

“As production continues to improve on models that were in short supply during the pandemic, we are seeing sales strength across our core SUV models,” said Eric Watson, vice president of sales operations for Kia America, adding the company expects “continued momentum” the remainder of year with the planned introduction of the EV9, an all-electric three-row crossover.

Subaru sales have now jumped 28 percent for two consecutive months, with June volume hitting 55,168, behind gains of 24 percent or more for the brand’s three top sellers: Outback, Forester and Crosstrek. The company’s U.S. deliveries have advanced 11 straight months now.

At Mazda, sales rose for the ninth straight month, with June deliveries surging 97 percent to 29,786.