The Kona SUV Gaining Popularity
Hyundai Motor Co.’s German market share hit an all-time high last month with its small cars such as the Kona SUV gaining more and more popularity and its technological strength reappraised.
The Federal Motor Transport Authority of Germany and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association announced on Oct. 20 that Hyundai Motor accounted for 4.8 percent of the German car market last month. For reference, the previous high is 4.7 percent, which was recorded in September 2015.
Specifically, the company’s sales volume in that market totaled 11,676 units last month, up 36 percent from a year earlier. During the same period, the market showed a sales volume growth of 22.2 percent. The company came in seventh in terms of sales volume, outperforming Audi, Renault, Fiat and Toyota and coming in second behind Ford among non-German automakers.
Hyundai Motor is showing a steady growth in that market. There, its annual sales volume almost doubled from 51,677 units to 100,875 units from 2008 to 2012 and rose to a record high of 114,878 units last year. In the first half of this year alone, the volume totaled 62,095 units.
Hyundai Motor Group entered the European market 41 years ago. There, the group’s annual sales volume topped one million units for the first time last year and is expected to do so again this year. From January to September this year, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. respectively sold 429,861 cars and 389,151 cars in Europe with a year-on-year growth of 0.8 percent and 0.9 percent while the European car market posted a negative growth of 1.5 percent.