South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor said on Feb. 3 that its U.S. sales jumped by almost a quarter last month, as Japanese rival Toyota grappled with a massive recall.
Hyundai Motor America said it sold 30,503 vehicles in January, up 24% from a year earlier. It said the new figure accounted for 4.7% of the total U.S. auto market in January.
Hyundai is a major beneficiary of the woes of Toyota, whose U.S. sales fell 16% last month after the recall of millions of vehicles and the sales suspension of eight models.
The South Korean carmaker is pinning hopes on its new Sonata sedan, due to hit the market this month, to augment the sales surge. It plans to launch advertisements for the Sonata during Sunday's Super Bowl.
Toyota's recall over a faulty gas pedal also led to an increase in sales for American automakers.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
See Also
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