Hyundai Motor's domestic sales fall to 6-year low amid strike disruptions

Hyundai Motor's monthly domestic sales fell to their lowest level in six years, as a union strike last month disrupted production amid stalled wage negotiations.

Hyundai Motor said Tuesday it sold 34,333 vehicles in South Korea in August, down 41.1 percent from the same month a year earlier. It was the first time monthly domestic sales had fallen to the 30,000-unit range since February 2020.

The sharp drop was attributed to a strike by the Hyundai Motor union, which had staged a cumulative 60 hours of work stoppages since July. Last month, workers carried out an eight-hour full strike — the first of its kind in a decade.

The walkouts caused production disruptions for high-demand models including the new Avante and Grandeur, significantly cutting into sales.

With management and the union reaching a wage agreement Tuesday, industry watchers expect new-model momentum to lift sales this month. Hyundai Motor has already unveiled a facelifted Grandeur and an all-new Avante this year, and plans to launch a fully redesigned Tucson in the fourth quarter.

"In August, there were impacts from production disruptions caused by the strike and pent-up demand for new models," a Hyundai Motor official said. "We will expand our market share on the strength of newly launched models, including The New Grandeur and The All New Avante."

By segment, sedans accounted for 10,922 units — led by the Grandeur at 5,931, the Sonata at 3,105 and the Avante at 1,462. Recreational vehicles totaled 10,810 units, with the Santa Fe at 3,596, the Palisade at 1,812 and the Ioniq 5 at 1,372.

Light commercial vehicles came to 6,503 units, including 4,224 Porter and 2,184 Staria. Medium and large buses and trucks combined for 1,553 units.

Genesis sold 4,545 vehicles in total, with the G80 at 1,460, the GV70 at 1,406 and the GV80 at 1,240.

Overseas, Hyundai Motor sold 254,241 vehicles, down 8.5 percent from a year earlier. Combined with domestic sales, total August sales came to 288,574 units, a 14.2 percent decline from the same period last year.