The demand for RV hybrid vehicles produced by Hyundai and Kia is growing in the domestic market. Currently, if you decide to purchase an RV hybrid vehicle, you'll have to wait at least five months on average for delivery.

According to the May 2024 delivery schedule distributed by Hyundai and Kia to their nationwide branches and dealerships, customers will have to wait 5-6 months for the Santa Fe Hybrid and 7-8 months for the Kia Sorento Hybrid.

For the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, consumers who purchased before April 11 can expect delivery as early as July or as late as September. If you buy a Santa Fe Hybrid now, you'll receive your vehicle by the end of this year or early next year.

The Kia Carnival comes in two hybrid models: standard and high-limousine. The Carnival Hybrid has a minimum waiting time of over a year for new car delivery. For the Carnival High-Limousine Hybrid, the 4-seater model takes 6 months, while the 7-seater and 9-seater models require at least 7 months.

Hyundai and Kia's sales performance also shows the high popularity of RV hybrid vehicles. In the first quarter, domestic sales reached about 23,000 units, of which 68% (about 15,000 units) were hybrid vehicles.

Kia Sorento's domestic sales in the first quarter were about 26,000 units, with hybrids accounting for 73% (about 19,000 units). Kia Carnival sold about 22,000 units in the first quarter, with hybrids making up 53% (about 12,000 units).

Hyundai reported that as of the 25th of last month, there were about 14,000 undelivered Santa Fe Hybrids. In response, Hyundai plans to diversify its hybrid supply numbers.

The production facility construction in Line 1 of Ulsan Plant 4 and the investment in an eco-friendly plant in Georgia, USA, appear to be part of the strategy to diversify hybrid production.

On the other hand, electric vehicle demand shows a different trend compared to hybrids. The waiting period for the IONIQ 5 is one month, while the Porter electric truck is available for immediate delivery. Kia's EV9 has a waiting period of about 5 weeks.

This trend is leading to the development of new hybrid systems by Hyundai. They are developing a 2.5-liter gasoline turbo hybrid system, which is expected to be installed in the full-change Palisade.

Despite the burden of new powertrain development costs, the plan is to increase sales by applying next-generation hybrid systems to popular models such as the Palisade and GV80.

While Hyundai's domestic sales were sluggish last month, export volumes increased, with hybrid vehicles playing a significant role. However, Toyota also led sales in the U.S. market by selling the 9th generation Camry Hybrid at a low price. Competition between Toyota and Hyundai in the hybrid market is expected to intensify, and Kia is also expanding its overall production capacity to meet the demand for hybrid vehicles.

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