Hyundai and Kia posted single-digit gains in December on record U.S. demand for their growing stable of crossovers such as the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Seltos, while Genesis came to life with the launch of its first SUV after struggling with a three-sedan lineup and inventory problems for most of the year.

Hyundai posted an overall sales increase of 2.4 percent in December compared with the year earlier, but retail sales rose 12 percent. Fleet shipments, which remain weak but have improved as rental companies return to the market, fell 34 percent last month, the company said.

Kia, which shares parent company Hyundai Motor Group with Hyundai and Genesis, reported a 4.9 percent gain in volume last month. It also reported a yearly retail sales gain of 3.1 percent for its highest annual retail tally ever in the U.S., the company said.

Sales at upstart luxury brand Genesis rose 40 percent on the launch of the GV80 midsize crossover in late November. The GV80 racked up sales of 1,459 last month compared to the 1,651 combined units for its three sedans in December. Genesis plans to launch the smaller GV70 crossover later this year.

Brands: Hyundai, up 2.4% in December; Kia, up 4.9%; Genesis, up 40 percent.

Notable nameplates: Hyundai Elantra, down 42%; Hyundai Kona, up 25%; Hyundai Santa Fe, up 21%; Kia Soul, down 21%; Kia Telluride, up 51%; Genesis G70, down 34% Genesis GV80, a new model with 1,459 sold.

Incentives: At Hyundai, $2,926 per vehicle, down 5.6% from a year earlier; and at Kia, $3,304 per vehicle, down 10% from a year earlier, TrueCar says.

Average transaction price: At Hyundai, $29,733, up 11% from a year earlier; and at Kia, $28,460 per vehicle, up 9% from a year earlier, according to TrueCar.

Quote: “We were leaders in retail and total market share gain for the year thanks to quick action by the entire company and one of the strongest product lineups in the industry,” said Randy Parker, vice president for national sales at Hyundai Motor America.

Did you know? Kia sold just 33 units of the K900 large sedan in December, and that was a 10 percent improvement over the 30 units sold in December 2019. For all of 2020, K900 sales fell to 305 from 390 in 2019.