- Hyundai’s American sales climbed 9 percent in September to a record 77,439.
- Hybrids grabbed 28 percent of all sales, demand having grown almost 40 percent.
- Palisade sales boomed 52 percent, Sonata’s by 39 percent and Tucson 32 percent.
Six years is a lifetime in the automotive world. Just ask Hyundai’s fourth-generation Tucson, which debuted in fall 2020 for MY21, and is departing in the wake of its boxier MY27 replacement’s August unveil. But American Hyundai customers clearly aren’t ready for the aging compact SUV to go. Industry figures for September show sales exploded even as the axe was falling.
Tucson deliveries grew from 17,569 in September 2025 to 23,164 in the same month this year. That’s a 32 percent increase, an incredible achievement for a car in its death throes. And one that received no major changes for the 2026 model year to accelerate demand.
Related: Hyundai’s New Tucson Remembers How You Got Into That Tight Parking Bay, And Reverses Itself Out
September wasn’t merely a blip, either. Sales climbed 10 percent across the year, and since the Tucson is America’s favorite Hyundai, accounting for almost 30 percent of the brand’s sales, the uplift on Hyundai’s fleet total was noticeable. The automaker’s overall sales climbed 9 percent to 77,439, that number a Hyundai record.
But why is a wrinkly SUV, and Hyundai as a brand, doing so well at a time when some American’s can’t even afford gas, let alone a new car? The answer partly lies in that question, because it’s hybrid demand that has pushed Hyundai and the Tucson to new highs.
Unwanted EVs
American drivers have increasingly turned their back on electric cars after EV tax credits were withdrawn at the end of September 2025. Sales of the Ioniq 5 and 9 were both down 65 percent last month. But the Iran conflict’s brutal effect on gas prices has pushed more new car buyers into hybrids, and unlike GM, Hyundai wisely developed a bunch of those in parallel with its EVs.
Hyundai’s hybrid sales swelled 39 percent last month, proving so hot they accounted for 28 percent of all Hyundai sales. And because hybrid availability stretches far beyond the Tucson, several of the brand’s other cars also experienced some incredible sales gains.
Palisades Flying Off Dealer Lots
Most impressive of those in percentage growth terms is the Palisade. Sales of the automaker’s biggest SUV blew up, the 10,327 units moved across the month representing a 52 percent increase over last year’s 6,790 result. But the Palisade was brand new for 2026 and hybrid versions weren’t available until later in 2025.
Sales of the Sonata also enjoyed a boost. They were up 39 percent to 5,156, while the Santa Fe, which got a new more affordable hybrid trim for 2026, enjoyed a 21 percent uplift to 12,227 units. And with gas prices showing no sign of sinking, Hyundai‘s hybrids aren’t likely to fall out of favor any time soon.
Hyundai US Sales, Sept 2026
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Hyundai
