Sales data from certain automakers is starting to roll in this week, and there’s already a little interesting news in the numbers I’ve already got. Kia outsold Hyundai again, and it did so by a rather large margin. What’s going on here?
This might be another Morning Dump where I use the term “k-shaped economy” to describe who is and who isn’t buying cars, because it’s starting to show up in the numbers. Tesla is hoping to lure buyers with yet another lower-level trim name, which reminds me of Toyota in the ’80s.
And, finally, China is tackling crappy electronic door handles. Finally!
Vans And Sedans Are Back, Baby!
I don’t want to overstate how big a deal it is that Hyundai lost a month of sales to Kia. Both brands are owned by the same parent company, and both had record Januarys. It’s good news all around. Also, this happens sometimes. Hyundai outsold Kia for the full year 2025 and, probably, will do so again this year.
What’s interesting about these sales numbers is that Hyundai and Kia share platforms and have almost entirely overlapping offerings, so there are some interesting assumptions to be made from the differences between the two brands.
The one I’ve mentioned before is that Hyundai sells the Santa Cruz, a small pickup truck, which it’s getting rid of after one generation. Kia, instead, sells an excellent minivan, and that minivan outsold the little trucklet nearly 5-to-1. The Carnival is also available as a hybrid, whereas the Santa Cruz has only been an ICE vehicle.
Hybrids have been doing well for both brands, as CEO Randy Parker noted:
“Hybrid demand was the star of the month, up more than 60%, showing just how strongly customers are embracing the strength, efficiency and advanced technology of our electrified lineup. This momentum gives us a powerful springboard into 2026 as we continue to expand choice and deliver the vehicles customers want most.”
That’s one of the differences, but there’s a more interesting one for me, which is that Kia’s new K4 outsells the Hyundai Elantra, 11,642 to 9,091. Even more fascinating to me is the fact that Kia moved 6,276 K5s versus 3,140 Sonatas.
Sedans! Affordable and attractive sedans! Again, this is only one month of data, and it’s possible that Kia dealers have more incentives or are being more aggressive in targeting buyers with bad credit. Or maybe it’s a trend. It’s something I’m going to be watching this year.
Only About A Third Of New Car Buyers Make Under $100,000
This is a continuation of yesterday’s TMD, which launched a lot of healthy debate over the new car market. With owners keeping cars longer, is it necessarily a surprise or even a bad thing that new cars have gotten so expensive? If someone who has an average income is able to keep a car running longer and avoid a car payment, is that necessarily a bad thing? Or, conversely, is it bad that someone making an average income can’t afford a new car every four years?
CNBC has some data this morning that won’t answer those questions, but can at least show the difference in markets:
“We have a different vehicle buyer today than we had just a few years ago,” Cox Automotive senior economist Charlie Chesbrough said Thursday during an auto analyst event. “The key takeaway here is that we’re seeing the average buyer here is much more affluent.”
Cox reports that the share of new-car buyers with incomes of less than $100,000 has dropped from 50% in 2020 to 37% last year, representing millions of lost sales. On the other end of the spectrum, the share of buyers with incomes of more than $200,000 has grown from 18% to 29% during that timeframe.
I think this represents an opportunity for some automaker, though I’m not sure who that automaker is at the moment.
Tesla’s New Cheapest Model Y Is Just Called The…
Tesla finally showed its de-contented Model Y and Model 3 late last year, and the company called these cars the Standard model. You know, the ones where they covered the glass roofs. That naming convention has been dropped, and now the Model Y is just the Rear-Wheel Drive or All-Wheel Drive. Credit to InsideEVs for noticing this:
The newly introduced Tesla Model Y All-Wheel Drive starts from $43,630 and has an EPA-estimated range of 294 miles on a full charge, making it the shortest-range Model Y in the lineup. Price-wise, it’s $2,000 more expensive than the base rear-wheel drive model with 321 miles of range, but $3,000 less than the Model Y Premium RWD. Compared to the Premium AWD, it’s $7,000 more affordable.
Nothing is changing, although this sort of reminds me of the way Japanese brands used to name vehicles. Remember when Toyota sold the Toyota Van and Toyota Truck? Tesla has been taking it in the shorts in California, but the governor of that state has launched a new EV tax credit there that could help them.
China Bans The Stupid Doors
There’s rarely universal agreement on a topic here at The Autopian, as we all have our own tastes and biases. One subject where there is, I believe, unanimous agreement is that there’s a style of motorized door handle that’s stupidly dangerous.
It’s been expected that China would follow through with its threat to ban them, and it sounds like it’s finally happening.
All car doors must include a mechanical release function for handles, except for the tailgate, according to details released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday.
Officials said the policy aims to address safety concerns after fatal EV accidents where electronic doors reportedly failed to operate and trapped passengers inside vehicles.
The new requirement will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. For car models that were already approved, carmakers will have until Jan. 1, 2029, to make design changes to match the regulations.
I hope regulators here will do the same.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
If you can believe it, it was 50 years ago this week that Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” was at the top of the Billboard 100 charts.
The Big Question
Looking at the current mix of cars from the Korean automakers (Kia, Hyundai, Genesis), what would you buy? If you’re in England, you can also get a Musso or whatever.
Top photo: Kia
I miss when the Hyundai dealer I work at was also a Genesis dealer. The GV60 is sweet. Though honestly I’d take an IONIQ 6… if it had a hatch (like my current Volt) and not a trunk.
Kia Carnival would be top of the list for us. And it’s actually near the top regardless of brand. I actually went and had a look at one a few months ago and liked what I saw. I just love how much space they have – and they can still tow a lightish caravan too (2000kg braked towing capacity) so it’s a viable upgrade path from our current SUV.
Since we’re in Australia we also have the option of looking at KGM (formerly SsangYong), which actually make a range of pretty handsome cars these days. If we end up getting an SUV with proper off-road capability we’d probably be looking at the Rexton, a 7-seater that has received some pretty decent reviews down here. And as an “unknown” brand (even though they’ve been here for years) they suffer pretty bad depreciation, making them a bit of a bargain on the used market.
The power of amber DRLs.
When it comes to cars from Kia/Hyundai/Genesis my advice is just say no. I used to think Chrysler Corp dealers were the worst, back in the day. Hyundai cranked up the shady factor to 11.
If I had to buy something new and Korean I would seriously consider the K4 hatch. It may not be objectively incredible but it’s probably incredible *for the price* and that makes it interesting to me. If they don’t have powerplant issues they’ll be autopian bait at C&C 20 years from now
I’d go for an EV9. In fact I tried to get one but my wife was a hard no on Kia unfortunately.
What would I buy from Hyundai/Kia? Something electric, because I still don’t trust them with an ICE.
Within my reach? Kia K4 hatch. If I had more cash, would look at a Genesis G70.
Maybe now that minivan sales seem to be going up, we’ll see more choice. The Carnival is ok but a friend owns one and has had bad luck with it. Plus we absolutely need the Stow and Go flexibility
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox released a great cover of “50 Ways” a few years back – https://youtu.be/FwLGsSlTVc8?si=RrZHDjSyMfDehIgl
I would love to buy a K4 wagon or hatchback if only you could get one with either a stick shift or a hybrid (or both!) in the US.
Yesterday I visited a Kia dealer to see a K4 Hatchback. They had a GT Turbo, white with red/black interior. I loved it. If I hadn’t bought a car last month I believe I could have purchased.
China will excuse electric handles on the hatch? That makes it harder to slip out the back, Jack.
I really like the idea of an Ioniq 6 – but at the rate of things, I bet a CPO G80 Electric would be a better deal.
You would come out ahead in that deal, IMHO.
If the G80 lease deals were as silly as the Ioniq lease deals, there should be some very nice options at deep discounts in the next year.
I didn’t like those (Ioniq 6) when they first came out but they have really grown on me. I find myself staring at them whenever I see them.
I couldn’t choose.
(But there are other cars, like the Polo or the Sandero I already mentioned, or the Juke, or the Aygo X hybrid, the Suzuki Swift, and maybe they could steer me away from the koreans. We have lots of cheap car models here, I guess.)
No wonder the brand new K4 out sold the soon to be replaced Elantra which is approaching 6 years old globally.
A shame that as people are now keeping their vehicles for longer periods of time, the long term reliability of newer vehicles engines and transmissions are decreasing. With resultant multi thousands repair bills combined with extended loan periods, this is a no win situation.
I once owned a KIA. Will probably never do so again.
The car itself (a 2011 Sorento) was meh (it felt like driving a truck, and the factory tires were horrible on snowy surfaces, just for starters) but the dealership was beyond next level slimy.
I won’t even look at used cars from that outfit.
Gun to my head I have to buy one, I guess an Elantra N will work. You couldn’t pay me to deal with my local Hyundai/Kia dealers though.
What about a gun to your head to go to a dealer to buy one? Sure, my arm will get tired waiting six hours for the deal to be agreed on…
Just take the shot, saves us both a headache
I’m very tempted by an IoniQ 6N. I’m ready for a sedan again.
Would fux with
Instead of this TBQ, I’d like to ask, “What NM or AZ city should Kia/Hyundai adopt as a new car name?”
I’ll answer it myself: “Truth or Consequences.”
There are so many good ones… off the top of my head:
Surprise
Nothing
Chloride
Tuba City
Why
Skull Valley
Top-of-the-World
I’d probably drive a Kia Surprise, but I’m not cool enough for the Kia Skull Valley.
Because there’s already a Kia Sedona, I’ll point out that Theodore Carlton Schnebly wanted to name the town “Schneblyville,” but it didn’t fit on the postmark equipment they had, so he named it after his wife Sedona instead. So although this town’s name is already used, I feel like it was a missed opportunity when they went with “Entourage” instead of “Hyundai Schneblyville” as the alternate-brand version of the Kia Sedona.
https://www.sandskia.com/
Surprise! Az.
Pie Town, NM of course.
Or if they just want to screw with everyone: the Albuquerkia.
Oh yeah. I’m down.
ARIZONA
-Bagdad
-Snowflake
-Prescott (but spelled the way they say it: “Press Kit”)
-Show Low
-Hermit’s Rest
-Tortilla Flat (maybe as a series of cross-model trim packages featuring other Steinbeck titles such as Dubious Battle and Red Pony… the logo for the latter could be a barbed-wire fence with circling vultures)
NEW MEXICO
-Thoreau
-High Rolls (picture a Telluride modified by Mitsuoka)
-Swastika
-Nutt
-Cleveland
They should introduce the Kia Flag and Hyundai Staff twins, obviously.
I don’t even know what my options are among those three. Probably nothing I want.
What would I buy? Nothing, I don’t make six figures
I would buy a Kia Carnival, if I needed a car. I’ve always been anti-minivan. Not because I wanted to look cool or gave a shit what other people think, but because they’ve always been ugly. The Carnival is not ugly, and it’s the only minivan I’ve ever felt that way about.
Thankfully I do not need a car, because they are so freaking expensive.
Oh boy! Ain’t nothing wrong with decreasing your customer base to an increasingly smaller group of people in the name of per unit profit. This definitely didn’t just burn the entire cycling industry. Clearly, that customer base will always be there, and doesn’t make the entire industry susceptible to Vis Major. And if there’s one thing we’re totally doing right now is stability!
“Or, conversely, is it bad that someone making an average income can’t afford a new car every four years?”
Whoa, a new car every 4 years? For the US, I feel like I see numbers of ~220-250 million drivers and cars in the fleet, and ~15 million new car sales. If “a new car every 4 years” is the standard, that would only cover ~60 million people/drivers, or ~25% of the driving population. For a new car every 4 years to be average/normal in the US, that would probably require ~60 million new cars produced and sold every year. I’m not sure even China’s overcapacity could make that happen.
Someone who is “average” buying a new car every 4 years is completely unrealistic in my view, even just from a production standpoint, let alone financials. The number should be more like every 16 years. By the 4 year standard, only the top ~25% of people would be in the new car market, and everyone else, including the “average” would be only buying used- probably closer to reality.
You need to separate out under 16 (likely even a bit higher because most folks don’t buy new until after they buy a few used cars). Likely some of the same logic at the upper end of the age profile as well but likely less since old people are better off spending the money on something new if they have it, otherwise the nursing home or assisted living will bleed them dry anyway.
No, that would simply skew the data and manipulate it, got to include everyone who is an active driver to get the full “average” picture. There would certainly be differences between different demographics, but selectively removing some would be cherry picking.
Average fleet age in the US is about what these days, 13 or 14 years?
Always worth pointing out that 12-13 years is the average age of cars on the road– not the average lifespan of a car. Closer to the midpoint than the endpoint of a car’s life.
something like that, I’m personally almost at 20 years average, and currently have no desire for anything newer even though I can afford it. I like older stuff that keeps working
With my actual money? I was tempted to buy a CPO Genesis G70, but the Hallasan Green/black example I was looking at was sold before I could get over to Lauderdale to view it in person. New is tougher… I really like the K4 Hatch, but I don’t like the pricing on the GT-Line Turbo that would be the only one I’d want. I like the K5 GT, but you see a lot of K5’s missing the chrome trim bits along the C-pillar. The lime-green calipers and interior stitching on the new ones is a bit naff as well. Honestly, if I had unlimited Internet monies it would have to be the Genesis G90. Make mine Hallasan Green, please.