Hyundai Motor CO August sales fall 14.2 percent on weak domestic demand

Hyundai Motor CO said Tuesday its total vehicle sales fell 14.2 percent in August from a year earlier, dragged down by a steep contraction in the domestic market. Local deliveries plunged 41.1 percent even as overseas shipments decreased by 8.5 percent.

The company sold 288,574 units globally during the month. For the first eight months of the year, cumulative sales totaled 2.58 million units, down 6 percent compared with the same period in 2025. Domestic volume for this running total fell 15 percent to 399,159 units, while overseas cumulative sales slipped 4.1 percent to 2.18 million units.

Jose Munoz, CEO and president of Hyundai Motor, addressed the company's outlook in a statement released alongside the figures, citing a strategy to offset current headwinds through aggressive expansion. "The fundamentals of Hyundai Motor are stronger than ever," he said. "We will launch more models, provide more powertrain options to our customers, and aggressively enter new segments and markets."

Munoz also outlined a longer-term strategic shift toward advanced mobility solutions, stating the company aims to evolve into a physical artificial intelligence enterprise. "Based on strategic partnerships, we will develop future new technologies, create new opportunities, and transform into a physical AI company that produces and deploys robots and robotaxis," he said.