Thank Heaven for Little (and Large) Crossovers: Hyundai's Recovery Continues Apace

It wasn’t long ago that Hyundai, having rocketed out of the recession on the strength of efficient — and newly improved — product, canned its American CEO over declining sales and made Operation Crossover its primary focus.

The sales slump was almost entirely the product of American buyers’ cold-shouldering of traditional passenger cars, to which Hyundai brass saw a utility vehicle surge as the only remedy. Seems they were right, as Hyundai’s now sitting pretty — and there’s another crossover that’s yet to land.

Hyundai reported a year-over-year U.S. sales gain of 8 percent in October, with retail sales up 12 percent. Year to date, sales are up 3.3 percent. Not bad considering the stagnant market. It helps when you’ve got new product on display, and Hyundai has two it’s particularly pleased with: the redesigned Santa Fe, which replaces the former Santa Fe Sport, and the Palisade, a three-row model that replaced the Santa Fe (renamed the Santa Fe XL after the Santa Fe Sport’s replacement by the Santa Fe — no confusion here!).

Despite the fact that Hyundai grouped both models under one name in its sales tallies, the new, singular Santa Fe’s sales were up 42 percent in October. Add in the 4,357 units of Palisade sold last month, plus remaining stock of old models, and Hyundai’s midsize(ish) crossover sales last month topped any month from 2018 or 2017. Through October, the nameplate is up 10.9 percent.

Meanwhile, the Tucson, despite its advancing age and looming successor, came within 205 units of matching last October’s volume. Through the end of October, Tucson sales are off 2018’s tally by just 822 vehicles. That’s one steady ship.

Further down the ladder, the Kona — Hyundai’s first salvo in Operation Crossover — outpaced last October’s tally by 27 percent, selling nearly as many vehicles as the midsize Sonata sedan. Put another way, it sold more than the Accent and Ioniq combined, and the same goes for year-to-date volume (only more so). Cars just aren’t cutting it in the Hyundai stable; high-volume models like the Elantra and Sonata are down significantly since the start of the year, though niche models like the Ioniq and Veloster are still in the black.

Next to arrive is an A-segment crossover called the Venue, aimed squarely at urban Millennials who love tech and efficiency but can’t find many coins to rub together. Offered as a front-wheel-drive-only vehicle, the Venue should arrive at dealerships any day now.

[Images: Hyundai]