Hyundai to Begin Importing Sport-Utility Vehicle to U.S.

Dogs may love trucks, but people buy them--in droves as auto makers have been discovering.

Conventional wisdom is that, stories about higher insurance premiums and gas guzzling aside, car companies need pickups, minivans and sport utilities to compete in the United States.

Hyundai clearly believes that--perhaps after looking at rival Kia, whose Sportage SUV accounts for almost 28% of its U.S. sales.

In any event, truckless Hyundai Motor America says it will begin importing a four-door sport-utility vehicle to the United States in two years.

The company already has announced plans for a minivan for the U.S. market next year and is redesigning the rest of its lineup of sedans and coupes.

The new vehicles, says Hyundai Motor America President M.H. Juhn “demonstrate Hyundai’s commitment to the U.S. market.”

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John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturing for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at john.odell@latimes.com.