Hyundai Motor aims to raise '07 U.S. sales by 22 percent

Hyundai Motor Co. said today it aimed to raise its U.S. sales by 22 percent this year, through stepping up marketing and selling more SUVs.

Hyundai aims to sell around 555,000 units in the world's top auto market in 2007, up from 455,520 vehicles last year, said Jake Jang, a company spokesman.

"We expect the Veracruz and the Santa Fe to help increase overall sales," Jang said by telephone, referring to Hyundai's SUV models. "We also plan to carry out aggressive marketing."

Hyundai, the world's No.6 automaker by sales volume along with its affiliate Kia Motors Corp., sold 104,205 units in the United States in the first quarter this year, down 1.7 percent from a year ago, according to company data.

Earlier this year, Steve Wilhite, Hyundai Motor America's chief operating officer, said the company expected to sell more than 500,000 vehicles in the United States this year.