Asian Tech Press (Sep 2) -- South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group  and its subsidiary Kia Corp said Thursday that their sales in U.S. fell 4.5% in August due to chip shortage, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The report said that Hyundai Motor and Kia sold a total of 110,209 vehicles in August, down from 115,376 units a year earlier, a 4.5% decrease.

Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America's senior vice president for national sales, said in a statement, "After five months in a row of record-breaking sales, along with chip supply shortages, our (lower) inventory levels presented a challenge in August."

Parker added that consumer demand for Hyundai vehicles remains at an all-time high and the company would improve its inventory through the remainder of the year.