Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors rank 2nd in car sales in China last year

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its
affiliate Kia Motors Corp. ranked second in China in the number of vehicles sold
last year thanks to increased demand for their small-sized cars amid an economic
slump, industry data showed Thursday.

According to the data provided by automobile companies in China, Hyundai Motor
and Kia Motors sold a combined 811,695 units of vehicles in the Asian country
last year. The Korean companies followed Volkswagen which ranked first by selling
1.39 million units.
Hyundai Motor saw its car sales jump 93.6 percent on-year to 570,309 units last
year, while its affiliate and the nation's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors sold
241,386 units, up 70 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.
Based on the numbers, the two companies outpaced their Japanese rival Toyota
Motor Corp., whose ranking fell from the second to the fourth. Exact figures on
how many vehicles the Japanese company sold in China were not available.
The stellar performance of the South Korean carmakers in China was due mainly to
increased demand for less expensive small vehicles amid a protracted economic
slump last year, analysts say.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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