South Korean automakers beat Honda in US

Two South Korean automakers, Hyundai and Kia, in 2021 together outsold Honda in the United States, with Kia breaking its U.S. sales record. 

Hyundai and Kia each increased their U.S. sales by 20% in 2021, reaching a combined figure of 1,439,497 vehicles. Kia on its own accounted for about 700,000, breaking its sales record in the U.S. In contrast, Japanese rival Honda sold 1,309,222 vehicles and saw a sales increase of just 8.2%. 

Hyundai and Kia models share engineering, as Hyundai Motor Group has a controlling interest in Kia. While Kia manufactures cars in Georgia, Hyundai has its U.S. factory in Alabama. 

Sedan gap

While the chip shortage hit all automakers hard, Hyundai and Kia scored well in the SUV segment, thanks to the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride (pictured), respectively. The two South Korean automakers also filled the sedan gap left open by local automakers like Ford and GM with models like the Kia K5 and Hyundai Elantra. 

Kia also witnessed a 90% increase in minivan sales, as it replaced Sedona with Carnival. 

Image: Kia