Hyundai is now Canada's fastest-growing mainstream auto brand

• Hyundai is Canada's fastest-growing mainstream automaker in 2019 with retail sales up 11.3%, the highest among mainstream brands.
• Hyundai is the only manufacturer to outperform the Canadian auto industry for 12 consecutive months, while the market just recorded its 15^th consecutive month of decline.
• Hyundai's positive sales performance sustained by key business directives, including a revamped marketing strategy and successful new product launches.

MARKHAM, ON, June 5, 2019 /CNW/ - May 2019 marked one year of Hyundai Canada outperforming in a declining industry, making it the only manufacturer in Canada to achieve this 12-month streak. While the automotive industry has been in decline since March 2018, due in part to a slowing economy and rising interest rates, Hyundai has consistently performed above industry average. Since the start of 2019, Hyundai has also been the fastest-growing mainstream automaker with retail sales up 11.3%.

In an increasingly competitive landscape, Hyundai has defied the declining market by launching innovative products, realigning its brand messaging and implementing a revamped marketing strategy, all while scaling back on fleet sales and decreasing incentive spending.

"We made a number of difficult but sound changes across our business over the last several years. It's rewarding to see that these changes coupled with exciting new products and a highly engaged dealer body are now resulting in industry-leading sales growth," said Don Romano, President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. "We're continuing to see great success, and we're just getting started. The best is still ahead."

These actions have resulted in Hyundai's light truck sales to be up 24.0% year-to-date as opposed to a decline in the overall market. In the last year, Hyundai introduced a redesigned Tucson, all-new Santa Fe and further expanded its SUV portfolio with the launch of Kona, its first entry into the fast-growing subcompact SUV segment. In its inaugural year, Kona quickly became Canada's hottest selling all-new vehicle while simultaneously nabbing two of the industry's most prominent awards: the 2019 Utility Vehicle of the Year at the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards and Best Small Utility Vehicle of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.

Hyundai has also successfully adopted a new marketing strategy. The company's more integrated digital focus has led to a deeper understanding of online audiences and a continued shift of retail communications to the web, culminating in stronger brand messaging and greater overall efficiency. This strategy has benefited all areas of the business, recently resulting in five-year highs in website traffic, search traffic, dealer traffic and build and price configurations with the number of credit applications also reaching a four-year high in 2019.

In its 12^th month of outpacing the industry, Hyundai has announced sales of 14,156 units, a 1.4% increase compared to the same month in 2018. So far in 2019, Hyundai has sold 51,499 units, up 7.9% over the same period last year. In response to increasing consumer demand, the company will continue to build on this momentum and diversify its SUV portfolio with the launches of two new vehicles, the 2020 Palisade and 2020 Venue. The Palisade, the largest in the lineup and Hyundai's flagship for premium design and execution, will hit the Canadian market this summer. The Venue, an entry-level SUV that slots in beneath the Kona, will arrive later this fall.

May Sales:

Nameplate	Sales	% Change
Accent	738	- 38.7%
Elantra	3,948	- 7.2%
Veloster	206	+ 237.7%
Ioniq	829	+ 84.6%
Sonata	369	- 22.2%
Kona	2,743	+ 50.9%
Tucson	3,169	+ 11.0 %
Santa Fe Sport	1,816	- 23.5%
Santa Fe XL	338	- 28.4%

About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 210 dealerships nationwide. Hyundai is the first to offer a second-generation zero-emissions Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle to Canadian customers, called the NEXO. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com.

SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.

For more information about Hyundai and its products, please visit www.hyundainews.ca or contact: Jasmine Law, Public Relations Coordinator, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Bianca Pettinaro, Corporate Communications Specialist, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: [phone], Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.hyundaicanada.com