European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association reported recently that Kia, together with its parent Hyundai Motor Company, outsold Toyota in Europe in the first half of the year. In addition to that, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group also beat its main Japanese rival in the fast growing China market!
According to the report, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group was the best-selling Asian automaker in Europe during the first six months of the fiscal year. The South Korean auto giant sold nearly 3,000 automobiles more than Toyota, which saw its sales plummeting 11 percent, compared to a year ago. Speaking of decreasing Toyota sales, sales of other Japanese carmakers, such as Honda and Suzuki, also fell sharply. Their sales plunged by 21 and 20 percent, respectively.
During the first six months, Kia Motors sold 138,357 vehicles, while Hyundai Motor Company sold 191,338 vehicles in the European market. According to European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, the combined total of 329,695 units is 2,904 more than Toyota’s sales of 326,791.
Both South Korean carmakers also managed to increase their market shares. Hyundai’s market share rose 0,3 percent to 2,6 percent, while Kia’s market share soared 0,2 percent to 1,8 percent.
Hyundai-Kia sales in China
As mentioned above, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group -HKAG also beat Toyota in China. During the first six months of 2010, HKAG sold a total of 489,500 vehicles in China, where sales have grown 39 percent compared to a year ago! In June alone, combined sales of Hyundai-Kia cars soared 16.2 percent year on year to 79.086 units.
Combined sales of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in China are expected to top 1 million units this year. To achieve the 1 million sales, both automakers plan to introduce several new models to Chinese consumers. According to some automobile media reports, Kia is going to introduce a modified Cerato model, slightly updated Forte sedan and new Sportage crossover by the year’s end in China, while Hyundai is all set to roll-out new Sonata sedan and Accent sub-compact sedan.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Who was number one? VW?
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:37 pm
If this keeps up Hyundai/Kia will beat Toyota globally for the first time. I did not expect them to outsell Toyota until 2011- 12. Who would have known that back in year 2000, Hyundai/Kia would outsell Toyota in Europe and China in the same decade? Who would have known that back in 1999 when Hyundai/Kia became a team, they would do a better job differing their cars than anyone else? Who would have known that back 1997 Toyota was stealing hybrid technology and 13 years later they would be getting sued? Who would have known that when the Camry America’s best selling sedan would one day have a worst reputation than the Hyundai Sonata? To Toyota and Honda for laughing at Hyundai and Kia back in 2002 when they said their goal was to be top 5 globally. This is what you guys get for letting your guard down. But heck I too would have let my guard down because I would have never known that I would I live to see the day that the sentence “Hyundai is better than Toyota” ain’t laughable like it was 15 years ago. Who would have known Toyota?
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:46 pm
And the Koreans have the accent, sportage, tucson, elantra, new and improved Forte, that new van to compete with the Ford C-max, K7 Veloster, K5, K9 and next Rio with three series this time and the next Azera, I30, next cee’d and to top it all Karean
hybrids that ain’t cloned toyotas like the three triplets prius, insight and leaf. They are also ready for fuelcells!!!
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:38 pm
BooYeah
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:36 pm
hahahaha@ Sper Excited JTZ…i love it!
July 24th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
This is excellent news! I look forward to the day when HKAG outsells Toyota in the US. To do that, though, we will need to see sales of the Sportage and Optima to hit 12k apiece.
July 25th, 2010 at 1:49 am
12k, that won’t even get close to Camry and Rav4. I don’t want Kia to outsell Toyota here in US. Quality suffers when you gun to be number one. Just look at GM in the past and now Toyota. Let Kia sell enough quality cars and cuvs to shut the haters up.
July 25th, 2010 at 1:56 am
I was leaving room for factoring in the Tucson and Sonata. 12k and the Sonata’s 17k is 29k – which surpasses Camry
July 25th, 2010 at 3:00 am
Forget surpassing any Toyota product. I want to see the new ugly Nissan Juke with it’s AWD gets surpassed by the new Sportage’s Dynamax AWD. Nissan wants a small CUV to Surpass the Soul and they realized the Cube couldn’t do it. But Nissan forgot that Kia’s Sportage can play two rolls it is a rival to the Rouge as well as the Juke because the Sportage’s size is so unique. Kia doesn’t need a SUV in-between the Soul and Sportage. Those two CUVs can take all 3 of Nissan’s without the Sorento.
July 26th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Scott Says: July 25th, 2010 at 1:49 am
“I don’t want Kia to outsell Toyota here in US. Quality suffers when you gun to be number one.”
>> 100% Agree. Kia and Hyundai should not be a Number 1, if they want keep good position longer. And, no.1 position is everybody’s target. No. 2 is also risky. Keep No.3 or No.4 are enough.
July 26th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
no.1 is everybody’s target. everybody watching no.1 by microscope, haters look for a fault of no.1.
July 26th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Jtz Says: July 25th, 2010 at 3:00 am
“new Sportage’s Dynamax AWD”
>> I read that HK considered aopt Haldex AWD system.
Why they adopt Dynamax AWD, instead of Haldex AWD system?
anybody know?
Is Dynamax AWD system is superior than Haldex AWD?
July 27th, 2010 at 6:52 am
When are we going to see some KIA spyshots? And you guys remember that K9 sketch? That wasn’t the K9 it was the K5 just go to Kia Buzz. Is there even a K9 even out in Kia’s R&D? I starting to have second thoughts and thinking its just a rumor after all. The closes thing to the K9 is the Genesis and Kia fans are just going to have to accept because there AIN’T no such thing as a RWD KIA. I don’t won’t to talk about ghost anymore.
July 27th, 2010 at 7:19 am
With Toyota it’s not hate-they’re like an annoying mosquito, only their imploding in to themselves, and they have been with all their insane cost-cutting that’s been going on for about 10 years now. They’re going down and it’s such a pleasant thing. I saw that my ’99 Kia Sephia had a more aggressive 4 banger and drivetrain way back in May of ’99. Kia’s advertisment inside the showroom clearly targeted Hon-Duh and Thai-o-ta. They mentioned the Civic and Corolla right in the sign. They highlighted the build quality and drivetrain and longevity of the Sephia would outlast those two. Kia has had those two in their sights for years upon years and I look forward to their overtaking them. Nissan is really on the rise but their designers are kind of smoking some strong crack. Not enough of Schreyer’s design intelligence to boost them over Kia. Hyundai’s like the annoying big brother who is constantly heckling Kia from the expensive seats behind home plate. They are bigger and have more money. But Kia always has been the superior automotive designer in South Korea. Numero Uno, ladies and gentlemen.
July 27th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
You know how every month in the US Kia sales around 30,000 units? Well, do you guys think they will sale 40,000 units when the K5 and Sportage arrives or do you guys think that Sorento sales well decline because of the Sportage and K5? This is what I think, I think Sorento sales well decline a tiny bit but not much like around 7000 units instead of 8000 units. However, I think that montly sales well move from 30,000 units around 38,000 units a month when the K5 and Sportage joins the line up. Tell me what you guys think. I also want to know which Kia do you guys think will be the first to break the 10,000 unit mark. I think it is going to be between the Optima and Sportage.
July 27th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
I think it will be the 2011 Kia Sportage, jtz, but not at all by a longshot. Competition from the 2011 Kia Optima is gonna be fierce. I hope the Sportage outsells Optima and is first to 10,000 cars a month sold in the U.S. But as long as they’re both Kia’s selling up in numbers I’ll be down wid it all.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:34 am
I like the next gen Optima, I own a 2004 Optima. I hope the Optima breaks the 10,000 mark first. Would be nice to see that soon. Go Kia! Give all the Japanese brands something to strive for…
July 29th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Great: I switched my Toyota Rav4 for a Sorento 2011 and my Vitara SZ for a Cerato Forte, i think that this is one of my best things that i´ve done in the last years.
Don´t worry about quality, koreans have learned from Japanese an American errors, and don´t forget that Kia’s advisers and disegners are German and American.
cheers for # 1
Ernesto
July 29th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Congratulations on your new purchases. I have no doubt that you will have a worry-free relationship with your Kias.
July 29th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Congrats, also, on your Kia Motors purchases. You done well. Very well.