Hyundai‘s Veloster on a roll in US market

Hyundai Motor Co.'s sports compact Veloster is enjoying brisk sales in the U.S market fueled by the carmaker's popular Super Bowl advertisement last month, industry data showed Tuesday.

According to the industry data, a total of 3,240 units of the Veloster were sold in February in the U.S., up 91.4 percent from a year earlier, nudging out the Fiat 500 with 3,227 units sold. BMW AG's Mini Cooper led the segment with 3,686 units.

The three-door compact sports car made a sensation in October last year to become the best-selling car in the segment with 3,724 units sold after a debut on the U.S. market in September.

But it lost steam after November and fell to the third spot in December and January.

Market watchers said the Veloster's recent upbeat performance is partly attributable to Hyundai Motor's Super Bowl advertisement aired on Feb. 5.

The commercial features a race between a new Veloster Turbo and a cheetah, which suddenly ends as the speeding Veloster outruns the animal in the very beginning.

The commercial gained popularity with U.S. consumers, finishing seventh in a ranking of Super Bowl ads measured by USA Today.

"The Super Bowl ad successfully impressed the new Veloster Turbo on U.S. drivers," said a Hyundai Motor official.

The turbo-charged Veloster model will hit U.S. dealerships around the summer and is expected to boost sales again to outpace the Mini Cooper and the Fiat 500, he said. (Yonhap)