Sales of the mid-sized Hyundai Sonata are expected to surpass 100,000 units here this year for the first time in two years.
[ads id=”0″ style=”float:left;padding:9px;”]Hyundai on Thursday said combined sales of the latest LF Sonata, the previous YF Sonata and Sonata Hybrid models totaled 88,485 units in the first 10 months of this year and will probably exceed 100,000 by the end of this year.
That would propel the Sonata to its former glory as the best-selling car in the country. The last time a passenger car surpassed the 100,000 mark was in 2012, when 111,290 Avante compacts and 103,994 Sonatas were sold.
The Sonata hit the milestone from 2005 to 2012.
Sales of the LF Sonata, which hit showrooms in March, exceeded 10,000 units a month from April to June but then plunged to less than 6,000 in August. But the taxi version of the LF Sonata managed to stem the decline in September.
Also, Hyundai slashed the prices of YF Sonatas and Sonata Hybrid models to reduce inventory. Sales of the two models from January to October totaled around 32,600 units.
A Hyundai spokesman said the automaker will roll out a new hybrid version at the end of this year, followed by turbo and diesel versions, as well as plug-in models next year.