Hyundai sees 07 US sales exceeding 500,000 units

Detroit, Jan 8: Hyundai Motor Co. expects tosell more than 500,000 vehicles in the United States this year, up fromthe 455,520 units it sold in 2006, a top executive at the South Koreanautomaker's U.S. arm said.

''In an environment of declining industry volumes, we expect tobuck the trend, with over 500,000 units,'' Steve Wilhite, chiefoperating officer of Hyundai Motor America, told Reuters in aninterview on the sidelines of the North American International AutoShow.

Wilhite, who joined Hyundai last August from Nissan Motor Co. , said he expected total industry volumes to fall by 250,000 to 300,000 units this year.

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