02/07/2008 06:14. U.S. sales of Hyundai's Alabama-made Sonata sedan rose 12 percent last month, as consumers shift to smaller cars amid soaring gas prices.

The Sonata posted June sales of 16,875, compared to 15,080 in June 2007. For the year so far, sales of the sedan trail last year by 2.6 percent.

In what also could be attributed to the small-car shift, sales of Hyundai's Santa Fe sport utility dropped 31 percent last month, to 5,863 from 8,460 in the... // The Birmingham News - al.com