S. Korean vehicles, TVs increasingly popular in Australia

SYDNEY, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean cars and TVs gained increasing
popularity in Australia last year, delivering a stronger performance in the
country's auto and home appliance market, South Korean companies said Tuesday.
The Australian unit of Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said sales
in Australia jumped 39.2 percent from a year ago to 63,207 vehicles in 2009.
The company posted its highest annual sales increase following its entry into the
Australian auto market in 1986, while sales of local automakers fell 7.4 percent
on-year amid an economic downturn sparked by the global financial crisis.
Hyundai's market share rose 2.2 percentage points from a year earlier to 6.7
percent in 2009, ranking fifth in the Australian auto market, thanks mainly to
the increasing popularity of its i30 mid-size model and the compact SUV Tucson.
Sales of the i30, which was named Australia's Best Car in 2008, rocketed 109.9
percent on-year to 21,400 units in 2009, while sales of the Tucson soared 85.7
percent over the same period.
Hyundai's smallest car, Getz, was ranked first in Australia's small car market,
selling 19,643 vehicles last year.
"We saw sales jump in 2009 as the company's global image has improved," said
Damien Meredith, general manager of the national sales division at Hyundai
Motor's Australian unit. "We expect sales to be driven higher this year as we
plan to release more new cars," he added.
Kia Motors Corp., an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., sold 19,470 vehicles in
Australia last year, with its market share climbing 0.2 percentage points from a
year ago to 2.1 percent.
South Korea's Samsung Electronic Co. remained the No. 1 TV maker in the
Australian market in 2009, posting a market share of 28 percent, up 7 percentage
points from a year ago.
"We were able to surpass Sony last year after we released light emitting diode
TVs in April," the Australian unit of Samsung said.
The company also occupied 19 percent of Australia's refrigerator market last
year, up 6 percentage points from a year ago, trailing only behind Westinghouse
Electric Corp., the largest refrigerator maker in Australia.
Samsung's market share in the mobile handset sector also rose 7 percentage points
from a year ago to 25 percent, ranking second following Finland's Nokia Corp.,
while that of monitors went up 2 percentage points to 15 percent, ranked third
after Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc.
Samsung posted combined sales of A$1.91 billion (US$1.76 billion) in its home
appliance division last year, up 4.7 percent from a year earlier.
jia@yna.co.kr
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