November 26, 2024

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Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun (right) and Hyundai Motor Company CEO Chang Jae-hoon pose for a photo next to the Ioniq 5 N, the company’s first high-performance electric vehicle, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed held in West Sussex, the UK on July 13. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Hyundai Motor Group is expected to post record sales in the UK, the second-largest automotive market in Europe, this year, according to industry estimates Monday.

The carmaker sold 173,428 vehicles in the UK in the January-October period this year, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders said citing corporate filings. Its market share stood at 10.8 percent.

If the current sales momentum continues, the carmaker said, its car sales are highly likely to exceed the record sales of 186,625 vehicles in the European country in 2017. It sold 181,610 vehicles last year.

Among the 45 car brands doing business in the UK, Hyundai ranked eighth with 75,456 unit sales in the first 10 months of this year. Its bestselling model was the Tucson compact sport utility vehicle, which sold 29,990 units.

Its smaller sibling, Kia, became the fourth-largest brand with 96,784 unit sales during the same period. Its most popular car model, the Sportage, sold 31,575 vehicles.

Both Hyundai and Kia elevated their rankings in the UK from ninth and sixth place, respectively, last year.

In the meantime, Hyundai’s premium brand, Genesis, which made its UK debut in 2021, sold 1,188 units, surpassing the 1,000 mark for the second consecutive year.

The carmaker said that new-energy models, including full-electric and hybrid cars, are driving up its overall car sales. In the cited period, Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 80,442 units of environment-friendly vehicles, up 6.7 percent from last year.

This year, Hyundai has expanded its EV lineup to six models: the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kona EV, Genesis GV60, GV70 EV and G80 EV. Kia also sells four EVs, including EV6, EV9, Seoul EV and Niro EV.

The Korean duo plans to secure firmer footing in the UK, which makes up about 15 percent of car sales in Europe, the largest market after Germany.

By Byun Hye-jin  (hyejin2@heraldcorp.com)