Hyundai, Kia Sales in Europe Rise 5.5% in March on Strong Hybrid, EV Demand

SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- Sales of South Korea's leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Corp. in Europe rose 5.5 percent in March from a year earlier, supported by solid demand for eco-friendly models, industry data showed Thursday. The two automakers sold a combined 116,827 vehicles in Europe last month, up from 110,734 units a year earlier, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. "Sales of gasoline hybrid and electric models underpinned overall performance," a company spokesperson said. Hyundai Motor's sales increased 6.5 percent on-year to 53,407 units last month, while Kia's rose 4.7 percent to 63,420 units from 60,586. Amid tightening emissions regulations in Europe, the companies are focusing on expanding eco-friendly lineups, including Hyundai's Tucson hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, and the all-electric Kona, as well as Kia's EV3 and Niro plug-in hybrid. Combined market share for Hyundai and Kia stood at 7.4 percent in March, slipping 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. Total European vehicle sales rose 11 percent on-year to 1,581,169 units last month. For the January-March period, cumulative sales by Hyundai and Kia fell 2.7 percent to 260,018 units from 267,297 a year earlier, while combined market share edged down 0.5 percentage point to 7.4 percent. Hyundai Motor's figures include sales from its independent Genesis brand.