Hyundai Poised to Overtake Ford in U.S. Q3 Sales, Forecast Shows

Cox Automotive’s latest forecast projects Hyundai Motor to sell 511,421 new vehicles in the United States from July through September, a 6.5 % year-over-year increase. Ford Motor is projected to sell 504,172 units in the same period, reflecting a 7.1 % decline. If the forecast holds, Hyundai would become the third-best-selling automaker in the U.S., trailing only General Motors and Toyota Motor.

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The forecast arrives amid stronger-than-expected new-vehicle demand for 2026. Cox raised its full-year U.S. sales outlook by roughly 2 % to 16.1 million units, indicating that the market has remained “pretty resilient” despite overall declines in both new and used-car sales.

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• Hyundai projected sales: 511,421 units (+6.5 % YoY)

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• Ford projected sales: 504,172 units (-7.1 % YoY)

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• Hyundai’s rank: third in U.S. sales after GM and Toyota

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• Cox 2026 U.S. sales forecast: 16.1 million units (?2 % increase from prior outlook)

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Cox chief economist Jeremy Robb emphasized the market’s resilience during a media call, noting that while overall sales are down year over year, the decline is modest. The Detroit automaker added that current tariffs, currency fluctuations, labor costs, and supply-chain factors make Korean production “very advantageous” compared with U.S. manufacturing, a benefit Ford leverages more than any other automaker.

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• “The automotive market this year has been pretty resilient,” — Jeremy Robb, Cox chief economist

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• “Currently, due to tariffs, currency, labor costs and supply chains, it is very advantageous to build in Korea versus building in the U.S. -- which Ford does more than any automaker,” — Ford

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