It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic hammered U.S. auto sales, as we saw in our quarterly report. There are not as many updates this month as most automakers have shifted to a quarterly schedule, but Hyundai did post its totals for July 2020 showing a positive trend. The automaker posted a slight 1 percent gain from 2019, selling a total 57,677 vehicles.
Of those sales, fleet sales still suffered the worst, comprising 7 percent of total brand sales. In all, that figure fell 32 percent from 2019. The other 93 percent made up retail sales with 53,555 units, up 4 percent from this point last year. Two-thirds of those customers bought SUVs, but retail sales were also up for the entry-level Accent and the Sonata. The new Palisade bolstered the brand’s sales substantially, as it gained momentum over last year, as the three-row flagship just hit dealers.
Hyundai sales breakdown: July 2020
| Model | July 2020 Sales | Difference from July 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Accent | 1,538 | -292 (-16%) |
| Elantra | 9,283 | -2,296 (-20%) |
| Ioniq | 1,826 | -1,065 (-37%) |
| Kona | 7,077 | -700 (-10%) |
| Nexo | 16 | -5 (-21%) |
| Palisade | 8,404 | +3,940 (+88%) |
| Santa Fe | 9,296 | -348 (-4%) |
| Sonata | 6,834 | -142 (-2%) |
| Tucson | 10,922 | -1,707 (-13%) |
| Veloster | 861 | -68 (-7.5%) |
| Venue | 1,620 | +1,620 (+100%, new model) |
Hyundai’s July 2020 sales follow major windfalls in the brand’s volume. The worst was March as dealers and customers reacted to stay-at-home orders, resulting in a 43 percent drop from 2019. April fell a similar 39 percent, while May and June fell a less substantial 22 percent and 13 percent respectively.
Even though the July gain was small, it shows some signs that the industry may be stabilizing. Still, the U.S. economy as a whole remains on shaky ground, and the ongoing struggle to combat COVID-19 may influence sales further in the coming months.
