- Hyundai’s Q1 gain was narrow and almost entirely hybrid-driven.
- The Ioniq 5 kept finding buyers even after federal credits vanished.
- By comparison, the Ioniq 6 has fallen off a cliff so far this year in the US.
Ongoing global economic uncertainty has affected many of the world’s largest car manufacturers, contributing to declining sales through the first part of the year. While Hyundai was among those who suffered a poor March, its sales are actually up slightly through the first quarter of the year.
Through Q1 2026, Hyundai has sold 205,388 vehicles in the United States, a small but meaningful 1% gain over the 203,554 units recorded in Q1 2025. Much of that lift comes from the Santa Fe, which climbed 6% from 31,401 to 33,343 units. The hybrid version did most of the heavy lifting, surging 47% as buyers continue to lean toward electrified options.
Read: Hyundai’s EV Sales Fell Off A Cliff In Q4, But That Didn’t Stop It From Setting Records
Elsewhere, the smaller Venue is quietly gaining traction, with sales up 12% to 6,761 units, while the Palisade added a steady 6% increase. Hyundai appears particularly proud of burgeoning demand for its hybrids, noting that Elantra HEV sales are up 141 percent through the first quarter, while Sonata HEV sales also rose 107 percent.
Hyundai USA 2026 Sales
Perhaps the biggest surprise in Hyundai’s first quarter is the all-electric Ioniq 5. Even as EV demand softens across the US, particularly six months after the federal tax credit was scrapped, this one keeps finding buyers.
So far this year, Ioniq 5 sales are up 14% to 9,790 units. March followed the same pattern, with deliveries rising 13% to 4,425, suggesting its momentum hasn’t cooled despite the slowdown in the EV market.
By contrast, most of Hyundai’s lineup took a hit last month. Elantra sales dipped 4% to 13,883, while the Ioniq 6 all but disappeared, plunging 82% to just 256 units after its local axing was confirmed.
Elsewhere, the declines were more measured but still noticeable. Kona deliveries fell 9%, Palisade dropped 23%, Santa Cruz tumbled 38%, and Santa Fe edged down 4%, suggesting the brand’s lineup struggled to keep pace even as a few standout models carried the quarter.
Bucking this general trend in March were the Sonata, with sales rising 31 percent to 7,498, and the Venue, with sales jumping 18 percent to 3,097. Overall sales at Hyundai fell 3 percent to 84,087 units in March.
