Hyundai Motor faced a difficult first half of 2026, as weaker demand, production disruption, and slower performance in some export markets pushed its global sales below two million vehicles for the first time in four years.
The South Korean automaker sold 1,966,267 vehicles worldwide from January to June, down 4.9% from the same period last year. This marks the first time since 2022 that Hyundai’s first half sales have fallen below the two million mark, after three consecutive years above that level.
The pressure continued in June, when Hyundai sold 338,313 vehicles globally, a decline of 5.9% compared with June last year. Overseas sales dropped 5.8% to 280,081 vehicles, while domestic sales in South Korea fell 6.2% to 58,232 vehicles.
The decline was sharper at home. Hyundai’s domestic sales in the first half fell 10.8% to 316,713 vehicles, while overseas sales slipped 3.7% to 1,649,554 vehicles. The company was affected by weaker demand, slower sales in some export markets, and the impact of a fire at a local parts supplier, which disrupted production for several weeks before operations began returning to normal in June.
Still, Hyundai had some bright spots. Sales of eco friendly vehicles in South Korea rose 5% in the first half, supported by strong demand for electric vehicles and hydrogen models. EV sales jumped 46.5%, while hydrogen vehicle sales surged 288.3% thanks to the new Nexo. Hybrid sales, however, declined 9.8%.
June also brought signs of recovery, as monthly sales improved compared with May, helped by better production flow and stronger domestic deliveries.
Hyundai expects sales to improve gradually in the second half of the year. The company is betting on new and updated models, including the facelifted Grandeur, the redesigned Avante, the upcoming Grandeur Hybrid, the Santa Fe facelift, and the Ioniq 3 in Europe, to regain momentum and strengthen its position through the rest of 2026.
