Hyundai And Kia Had Very, Very Big Years
Photo: Erik Shilling
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1st Gear: Hyundai? Hyundai!
It was not so long ago that Hyundai’s cars were basically a joke in America, poorly made, not so stylish, not very powerful, cheap, sure, but also sure you could do a little bit better. Needless to say, that has changed in the past couple of decades as Hyundais have remained cheap but also become well-made and even stylish.
Hyundai’s partner Kia has had a similar trajectory. All of that work is now reaping big rewards for Hyundai Motor Group, the parent of both.
Provided by Dow Jones
By Ben Foldy In a tough year for the car business, Hyundai Motor Group picked up momentum in 2020, aided by a slate of new sport-utility vehicles that have resonated with American buyers. The South Korean auto-manufacturing giant, which sells vehicles under two separate companies Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. expanded its U.S. market share more than any other major auto maker through November and held retail sales steady during the period, defying the broader industry s 12% drop, according to market research firm J.D. Power. As investors have lavished attention on electric-vehicle startups, shares of Hyundai and Kia, listed separately on the Korea Exchange, also rallied in 2020, climbing 67% and 49%, respectively, through Tuesday s close and outperforming other traditional auto makers such as General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG.