This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the IONIQ 5 all-electric crossover.
SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — For the very first time, Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. sold more than 100,000 eco-friendly SUVs this year, driven by the success of hybrid models.
The two automakers sold a total of 119,054 hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered SUVs in South Korea from January to November of this year, almost twice as many as last year (63,689 cars), the companies said in a statement.
Out of 420,061 SUVs sold by both companies this year, 28.3 percent were eco-friendly vehicles.
The two companies sold 70,841 hybrid SUVs, comprising 59.5 percent of all eco-friendly SUV sales, which was 50.7 percent higher than last year (47,014 vehicles).
They also sold 40,007 electric SUVs, 3.6 times more than last year (11,222 vehicles).
“With the increasing popularity of SUVs across the globe, eco-friendly SUVs are gaining a greater presence,” said Lee Hang-ku, a researcher at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute.
“In the past, SUVs had been at the center of criticism for their size and lack of eco-friendly qualities. With the advent of eco-friendly SUVs, however, the tide seems to be turning.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
