Hyundai has another record-breaking year for production, sales

Another year, another Hyun­dai Motor Manufacturing Alaba­ma production record and another sales record for Hyundai Motor America. And the records weren't just broken, they were smashed.

Sales of Hyundai Motor Amer­ica vehicles in 2011 were up 20 percent over 2010's record-break­ing sales year.

Hyundai's U.S. sales of the Montgomery-made Sonata and Elantra were up 15 and 41 per­cent, respectively, in 2011.

Meanwhile, production of the two vehicles was up a combined 41.8 percent in 2011, according to numbers released this week. That increase was possible in part by shifting production of the Hyun­dai Santa Fe to Kia Motor Ameri­ca's West Point, Ga., plant in 2010.

In all, HMMA produced 12.5 percent more vehicles in 2011 than it did in 2010.

But sales were so high that even with the Montgomery plant working two 10-hour shifts five days a week for most of 2011, many vehicles had to be imported from South Korea.

Hyundai sold 186,361 Elantras last year while HMMA produced 78,188 for sale in the U.S. Meanwhile, HMMA pro­duced 209,424 Sonatas for American dealerships; 225,961 Sonatas were sold. The Sonata Hybrid is made in South Korea.

HMMA is one of the River Region's largest employers with about 2,600 employees. In 2010, HMMA and its sup­pliers' total economic impact on the state was estimated at $3.8 billion. Its expanded en­gine plant, a $173 million in­vestment, will open soon.

But if Hyundai has plans for further expansion, those plans haven't been an­nounced. A year ago, John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America CEO, hinted at a possible second U.S. plant to boost production. He said a decision probably would be made after 2011.

Hyundai representatives could not be reached Wednesday to discuss any possible expansion plans.

But Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that he hasn't had any conversations along those lines.

"We are ready, willing and able to accommodate them when they decide they are ready willing and able," he said.

He called the recent sales figures a "tribute to the com­pany."

"We commend and we congratulate Hyundai for the great success they have had," Strange said.

For the month of Decem­ber, Hyundai's overall U.S. sales were up 13 percent over December 2010.

"December was another record-setting month and 2011 a record-setting year for Hyundai," Krafcik said in a news release Wednesday. "Hyundai sold a record 645,691 units this year, built over 420,000 cars right here in the U.S., and achieved an industry-leading 36.1 miles per gallon (Corporate Aver­age Fuel Economy) level doing it.

"Sonata's retail sales per­formance in 2011 was a real highlight for us. Along with Camry, Accord, Civic, and possibly Altima, the Hyundai Sonata was one of only five cars in the entire industry with retail sales (excluding fleet) over 200,000 units."

There were two Hyundai makes that saw a decrease in sales last year. The Santa Fe, down slightly from 76,680 to 2010 to 74,391 in 2011, and the Azera.

But Hyundai's premium models performed well, ac­cording to the company, with Genesis sales increasing 13 percent over 2010. The Equus had sales of 3,193 in its very first year.

Kia, Hyundai's sister com­pany, saw a 36.3 percent sales increase in 2011.

Source: montgomeryadvertiser.com