Hyundai Motor and Kia market and sales decline

Hyundai Motor and Kia have experienced significant financial and operational challenges. In late September 2026, the companies faced downward pressure on stock prices, with the KRX automotive index dropping 12.55% over a month. Analysts cited high interest rates, a strengthening won, and intense competition in South Korea, the United States, and India as primary drivers. Additionally, concerns emerged regarding production disruptions from strikes and lowered earnings forecasts for 2024 and 2025. Investor interest in the group’s robotics division also cooled due to ongoing losses and delayed deployment of the Atlas humanoid robot.

By early October 2026, Hyundai Motor reported a 16 percent decline in vehicle sales for September 2026 compared to the previous year, with total sales falling to 307,998 units. The company attributed this to fewer working days during the Chuseok holiday and delayed demand for new models. Domestic sales in South Korea saw a 25.7 percent decrease, while overseas sales dropped by 13.9 percent. For the first nine months of 2026, cumulative sales for Hyundai decreased by 7 percent compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, Hyundai Motor faces a projected decline in third-quarter performance due to production disruptions, rising costs, and weakening exchange rate effects. Labor strikes in July and August resulted in a production gap of approximately 55,000 units. Increased manufacturing costs from rising raw material prices and a decline in the average KRW/USD exchange rate are also expected to exert downward pressure on earnings. Analysts suggest that Hyundai’s operating profit may be overtaken by its affiliate, Kia, for the first time in several years.