LOS ANGELES -- Hyundai's Tucson SUV and Kia's Forte compact car were the bright spots in terms of US sales for the two South Korean automakers last month, in an otherwise disappointing period, industry data showed Wednesday.

The US headquarters of Hyundai Motor reported July sales of 54,063 cars, 27.9 percent less than the same month last year. The firm's sister company Kia Motors sold 56,403 vehicles in the same period, down 5.9 percent.

Hyundai's compact crossover SUV Tucson, however, managed a 45.7 percent increase in sales for July with 11,257 units sold, the company said, marking the sole sales rise among models sold in the US Its aggregate sales so far this year totaled 62,964, surpassing about 50,000 during the same period last year.

For Kia, sales of the Forte jumped 16.7 percent for the month to 12,022. The company's large sedan Cadenza also rose slightly in sales. (Yonhap)