German Imports
Hyundai Motor and smaller affiliate Kia Motors are achieving excellent results in the global auto market despite the overall weak demand.
According to domestic auto industry sources and data by the German Association of the Automotive Industry on Nov. 9, Hyundai-Kia Motors led in sales among foreign brands in Germany for two months in a row. The two Korean car makers sold a combined 14,131 cars in the German imported car market in October – Hyundai Motor with sales of 9,084 units and Kia Motors with sales of 5,047 units, up 1.7 percent, or 13,891 units, from the same period a year ago. It is the largest monthly sales among 24 foreign brands there. Hyundai-Kia Motors also ranked first in imported car sales in Germany in September this year with sales of 17,644 units.
In particular, the two Korean car makers gave Japanese car manufacturers, their greatest competitors, the slip last month. Hyundai-Kia Motors showed 25.8 percent higher sales than a combined sales of Nissan and Toyota, which are completing against Hyundai in the top 10 list, with 11,225 units. Nissan sold 5,726 units in the German market last month, while Toyota sold 5,499 units. Hyundai-Kia Motors is followed by Czech car maker Skoda with 13,808 units, Renault with 9,665 units and Seat with 7,847 units.
Hyundai and Kia Motors achieved the top place in sales despite the decline in sales of imported cars in Germany. A total of 94,452 units were sold in the imported car market in Germany last month. The figure is a 5.2 percent decline from 99,620 units year-on-year. Among the top 10 foreign brands in terms of sales, only Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Mazda saw the sales increase, compared to the same period last year. Toyota saw its sales shrink 20 percent, while Skoda saw sales decline 13.3 percent. Major car models, which led in sales, are the Hyundai Tucson i10 and the Kia Sportage, Cee'd and Pride.
In the U.S., the two automakers sold a combined 110,049 cars – Hyundai Motor with 12,744 units and Kia Motors with 4,899 units – last month, up 16.1 percent from the same period a year earlier. It is also the largest monthly sales in October in history.
In China, Hyundai-Kia Motors sold a combined 156,575 cars last month, showing a 4.7 percent increase year-on-year. The figure turned around again in 6 months.
The two companies tipped the scales in the Chinese market despite fierce market competition with local automakers, and surpassed Japanese car makers in the U.S. and German market despite the weak yen. Hyundai Motor Group believes that this is because the new car effect is spreading in the global market in earnest.