Hyundai sells 10,000 Kona SUVs in 40 days
Hyundai Motor has sold more than 10,000 Kona SUVs in 40 days since the model was introduced last month, making a successful debut on the nation’s booming compact SUV market.
According to Hyundai Motor, Friday, it received more than 7,000 preorders for the Kona SUV in the month since it started receiving them on June 14, and another 3,000 in the next 10 days. On average, about 330 vehicles have been sold every day.
“Hyundai Motor aims to sell 26,000 Kona SUVs this year,” a Hyundai Motor official said.
At this rate, the carmaker is expected to achieve its sales target this year without any problem, heating up the competition with Ssangyong Motor Tivoli SUV.
"The Kona SUV’s futuristic design targets young motorists with adventurous spirits," Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun said during the SUV model’s unveiling event, June 13.
The model’s futuristic design has indeed attracted a large number of young motorists.
The official said 45 percent of all orders for the Kona SUV came from young motorists in their 20s and 30s.
The Kona SUV’s dynamic exterior is based on its low and wide stance with Hyundai Motor’s characteristic cascading grille. The daylight headlamps and main lamps are divided into the upper and lower sides on the front.
The Kona SUV also features the so-called "armor" bumper garnish, which looks like an ice hockey player’s shoulder pads.
The Kona’s low height demon- strates its stable and agile driving characteristics. The roof features a different color from the vehicle’s body.
It is also drawing huge popularity among female drivers for the vehicle’s differentiated safety systems.
About 51 percent of the Kona SUV orders came from females drivers.
To improve the vehicle’s safety, Hyundai Motor has used advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) in the vehicle’s body.
The carmaker said the steel improves the Kona SUV’s frame twisting stiffness by 20 percent compared to its competitors.
Due to its surging popularity, it reportedly takes about a month to receive a Kona SUV after ordering it.
“Hyundai Motor is producing the model as quickly as it can to meet the demand,” said the official. “The Kona SUV is an important model spearheading the global compact SUV market. The company is doing its utmost to satisfy its customers.”