Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Thursday that its sales in the U.S. inched up in June thanks to relatively strong sales of its smaller-size cars there. 


Hyundai Motor sold a total of 67,502 cars in America last month, slightly larger than the previous year's 67,407 units, according to the data provided by Hyundai Motor's American unit. 


"With dealers equipped with the right mix of vehicles for the summer selling season, we eked out an increase versus last year," said Bob Pradzinski, vice president of national sales of Hyundai Motor America. "Despite the SUV frenzy, Hyundai's small cars continue to do well."


The Accent compact saw its sales grow 14 percent on-year in June to 6,541 units, while the Elantra posted a 55 percent jump to 26,613 units. 


Its popular Santa Fe SUV also sold briskly with its June sales reaching 10,446 units, up 8,930 from a year earlier. 


Large and premium sedans didn't do as well. 


Sales of the Genesis premium sedan dropped 19 percent on-year to 2,513 units last month, while those of the Equus plunged 32 percent to 170 units, the data showed.


During the first half of the year, Hyundai Motor's cumulative sales in America came to 371,150 units, up around 2 percent from the previous year.


Kia Motors Corp., Hyundai Motor's smaller affiliate, performed better in the U.S. market last month.


It sold 54,137 cars there, up 6.9 percent from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for recreational vehicles, such as the Carnival, the Sportage and the Sorento. 


The company's cumulative sales during the first half came to 310,952 units.


The latest sales results brought the combined market share held by Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors in the U.S. to 8.2 percent last month.


The two automakers see June's relatively strong performance in the U.S. market as meaningful as it came against unfavorable currency-related business conditions, such as the weak yen and the absence of pickup truck models, which are popular among local customers. (Yonhap)