Overall new car sales for the month of March were very strong for the auto industry as a whole, but perhaps no automaker is celebrating more than Hyundai. The South Korean brand recently announced it set a record for the month, with the highest sales totals in the company's history.
"March was the best month in Hyundai's history and capped the best first quarter we've ever recorded," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's executive vice president of national sales. "Improving vehicle availability, particularly among our most fuel-efficient vehicles, Sonata, Elantra, Accent and Veloster, has fueled this record growth."
The company sold 69,728 units, a 13 percent increase over last March, which was the previous record-holder. Overall, the company's first quarter represented a 15 percent improvement over 2011.
Fuel-efficient models were especially popular as drivers looked for relief from high gas prices. Hyundai offers a number of vehicles with more than 40 MPGs, and sales of these cars improved 67.5 percent year-on-year.
Drivers hoping to improve their fuel economy on their current car should look into auto maintenance. New tires, tune-ups and certain car repairs can all help drivers improve their fuel efficiency and head to the pump less often.