South Korean auto conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group has maintained its price competitiveness in the United States in April, becoming the only major automaker to see a decline in prices.

According to the Kelley Blue Book Report released by U.S. research firm Cox Automotive on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor Group’s average transaction prices (ATP) fell 1.2 percent on month to $37,674 in April.

The overall ATP in the U.S. rose 2.5 percent in April from a month ago, more than double the 1.1 percent recorded in April of last year.

This figure is the second highest since April 2020 when ATP rose 2.7 percent as many car manufacturing plants shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The rise follows the implementation of U.S. government tariffs on automotive items. Hyundai Motor Group, however, had declared a price freeze through May.

Among Japanese automakers that compete in the $30,000 range like Hyundai, the price increases were 0.4 percent for Honda, 1.1 percent for Mazda, and 1.8 percent for Subaru.

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, which only sells Japanese brand vehicles like Nissan and Mitsubishi in the U.S., saw a 5.1 percent increase – second only to Tata Motors.

U.S. brands Ford and GM saw their prices rise by 1.1 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Industry analysts attribute the automaker‘s pricing resilience to a strategic focus on entry-level models and consistent sales incentives.

According to Hyundai Motor data, sales of higher-end models such as the Palisade and Santa Fe dropped 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, in April compared to March.

Meanwhile, sales of lower-priced models such as the Kona and Sonata increased by 12 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

Maintaining incentives based on solid inventory levels also played a key role.

According to Cox Automotive, dealer incentives in April averaged 6.7 percent of ATP in the U.S. – down from 7 percent in March – marking the lowest level since 2024 summer.

Hyundai Motor, however, reportedly continued offering incentives and engaged in aggressive marketing.

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