by For the full year 2025, Hyundai set a U.S. sales record for the third consecutive year. However, the overall growth hides significant shifts in demand structure, particularly a substantial slowdown in electric models in favor of hybrids and traditional SUVs.
A Record with Contradictory Trends
If looking only at the total numbers, 2025 looks triumphant for Hyundai. The brand posted its best-ever December in the American market, its third consecutive year of record total sales, and its fifth consecutive year of record retail volume. Total sales reached 901,686 vehicles, with 78,930 units sold in December alone.
However, delving into the details reveals a more complex and less rosy picture, especially for electric vehicle enthusiasts.
Hyundai’s EVs stumbled badly at the end of the year. Ioniq 5 sales fell 50 percent in December compared to the same month last year. Ioniq 6 dropped even harder, down 62 percent.
Sharp Decline of Electric Vehicles
Hyundai’s electric vehicle sales plunged sharply at the end of the year. Ioniq 5 sales in December fell by 50 percent compared to the same month last year. Ioniq 6 performed even worse, with a drop of 62 percent. In the fourth quarter, both models also showed a sharp decline of nearly 60 percent.
The New Ioniq 9 Did Not Save the Situation
For the full year, the picture is slightly softer but still ambiguous. The Ioniq 5 finished 2025 with growth of nearly 6 percent compared to the previous year, but the Ioniq 6 showed a decline of 15 percent. The new three-row Ioniq 9 added to electric vehicle sales volume during 2025, helping Hyundai’s total electric sales over the last 12 months exceed the figures for 2024, when the Ioniq 9 was not yet available. But in the fourth quarter and December, total electric vehicle sales dropped sharply, despite the support of the new model.
Electric vehicles were not the only models struggling. Sonata sales fell by 13 percent in 2025 (and by 32 percent in the fourth quarter), and the light SUV Santa Cruz lost 20 percent over 2025 (and 21 percent in the fourth quarter). The Kona also did not show the best results, with its sales falling by 9 percent from January to December.
Hybrids and SUVs as the Foundation of Success
So how did Hyundai still manage to achieve record figures? The answer lies in hybrids and SUVs. Hybrid sales jumped by 71 percent in December and grew by 36 percent over the year, driven by demand for electrified versions of the Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, Santa Fe, and Palisade.
Hyundai’s record year was not built on electric, but electrified momentum. Buyers did not stop shopping, they simply changed how they shopped, preferring to spend their money on more traditional vehicles with more traditional powertrains.
Meanwhile, Hyundai’s core SUVs showed rapid growth: Santa Fe increased sales by 20 percent for the year, Palisade by 13 percent, and Tucson by 14 percent.
In other words, Hyundai’s record year was built not on electric, but on electrified momentum. Buyers did not stop purchasing, they simply changed their preferences, favoring more traditional vehicles with more traditional powertrains.
This data clearly reflects the current market transformation, where consumers are showing caution regarding pure electric vehicles while actively embracing hybrid technologies. The success of Hyundai’s SUVs indicates that the SUV category remains extremely popular, and the hybrid versions of these models are becoming the perfect compromise between efficiency and the familiar driving experience. The future of the brand’s electric lineup will likely depend on further infrastructure development and a potential review of marketing strategy aimed at overcoming the barriers that are holding back buyers.
