LOS ANGELES -- South Korea's leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. saw its US sales drop nearly 9 percent in February from a year earlier due to bad weather, company data showed Tuesday.

Hyundai Motor sold 48,333 vehicles last month, down 8.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from Hyundai Motor America, the firm's US subsidiary.

Sales to general consumers fell 2 percent on-year, and those to companies and rental car providers plunged 47 percent.

Hyundai Motor said this year's February had one fewer business day than the same month last year, adding the daily sales volume grew 1 percent last month from a year ago.

The company attributed February's sales decline to inclement weather conditions in some parts of America, which made a dent in logistics and shipments.

A record cold wave gripped Texas and other southern US areas, inflicting huge damage in the regions.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor's smaller subsidiary Kia Motors Corp. said its US sales shrank 7.8 percent on-year to 48,062 units in February. Yet, Kia Motors said its daily US shipments have risen 2.4 percent so far this year.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors are the flagship units of Hyundai Motor Group, the world's fifth-largest automaker. (Yonhap)