This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp.’s headquarters buildings in Yangjae, southern Seoul.
SEOUL, July 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Wednesday their vehicle sales in Europe rose 3.3 percent in the January-June period from a year earlier, helped by robust sales of their SUV models.
Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 575,432 vehicles in Europe in the first half, up from 557,025 units in the same period of last year, the companies said, citing data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
But their market share fell to 8.7 percent of the European passenger vehicle market in the first half from 9.9 percent.
Their best-selling models include Kia’s Sportage SUV and Hyundai’s Tucson SUV. But sales of their EV models, including Kia’s EV6 and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, declined 8.6 percent on-year to 71,240 units in the first six months.
In June, the two South Korean carmakers sold 106,605 autos in Europe, up 4.8 percent from 101,702 units in the same month of last year. But their share also declined to 8.4 percent from 9.5 percent.
Last month, new registrations of all-electric cars in the European Union jumped 66 percent on-year at 158,252 units.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 15 percent of the European passenger car market in June, up from 10.7 percent a year earlier, ACEA data showed.
BEVs emerged as the third most popular choice among new car buyers in Europe, overtaking diesel for the first time, the data said.
(Yonhap)
