Hyundai plans to get more crossovers into the hands of U.S. dealers who are growing increasingly concerned with the brand’s car-heavy mix amid a surge in demand throughout the industry for crossovers.
The news came at the brand’s annual make meeting at the NADA convention on Sunday.
Hyundai executives told dealers it plans to nearly double the allocation of the extra 40,000 Tucson compact crossovers the U.S. received last year.
The automaker is already in the midst of retooling its Montgomery, Ala., plant to bring another 50,000 Santa Fe Sport models onto the market annually.
The moves will bump the brand's crossover mix to around 30 percent of total sales by the end of the year, Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America CEO, told Automotive News.
Hyundai's U.S. light-truck deliveries -- Santa Fe and Tucson -- have edged up 0.2 percent this year to 37,601 through March, while the overall light-truck market has expanded 11 percent.
