The Kia Sportage is seen in this photo. (Kia) Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday its sales in the United States reached a record high in the first half of the year, driven by strong demand for hybrid vehicles.Hyundai Motor America sold 450,568 vehicles in the US market in the January-June period, up 3 percent from a year earlier and marking its best-ever first-half sales performance.The company also posted a record June, with sales rising 11 percent on-year to 77,055 vehicles sold in the large consumer market.Hyundai attributed the growth to strong demand for hybrid models, including the Elantra Hybrid, Sonata Hybrid and Tucson Hybrid.Kia America also achieved record first-half sales in the US, selling 430,727 vehicles in the first six months of the year, up 3 percent from the same period last year.The Sportage Hybrid led the gains with a 136 percent jump in sales in the six-month period, while the Carnival and Telluride posted double-digit growth of 21 percent and 20 percent, respectively.Kia's June sales also reached a record for the month, rising 10 percent from a year earlier to 70,507 vehicles. (Yonhap)