Hyundai sees 2007 U.S. sales exceeding 500,000 units

DETROIT, Jan 8 (Reuters) Hyundai Motor Co. expects to sell more than 500,000 vehicles in the United States this year, up from the 455,520 units it sold in 2006, a top executive at the South Korean automaker's U.S. arm said.

''In an environment of declining industry volumes, we expect to buck the trend, with over 500,000 units,'' Steve Wilhite, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America, told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show.

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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