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Hyundai shows impressive growth during the first six months of 2010
Offenbach, July 15th 2010
Sales of Hyundai cars hit 191.338 units in the first half of 2010 – the most in a six-month period since the company first began importing vehicles to Europe over 20 years ago. The latest figures from ACEA show that Hyundai increased its sales by 10.2% compared to the first six months of 2009 – once again outperforming the European market, which grew by 0.6% over the same period.
Hyundai’s strong first-half performance – which drove the brand to a European market share of 2,6% – is highlighted by the fact that the automaker ranked as the leading Asian brand in a number of key markets across Europe, including the continent’s biggest for car sales, Germany.
The vehicles comprising the i-range line-up continue to perform well in their respective segments. The European-built i30 hatchback and wagon increased sales by 41% compared to 2009, with the total figure for 2010 surpassing 60.000 units. The European-designed i20 supermini achieved a 40% increase over sales on 2009, while the i10 compact registering a 3% improvement. Hyundai’s recently launched C-segment SUV – the ix35 – also contributed to the impressive first-half results, with over 60.000 orders taken within four months of the vehicle going on sale in March.
Allan Rushforth, Vice President at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “We are very pleased with the way things have gone so far this year. Our aim was to maintain the momentum gained from the various government incentives launched in 2009. Now those have come to an end, we are happy to be in a position of positive growth.
“The launch of the ix35 in the first quarter helped us offset the downturn in demand that has affected other car manufacturers, and we are now well placed to achieve our objective of reaching 2,75% market share by the end of the year.
“Although the European car market is bracing itself for a challenging few months ahead, we are cautiously optimistic as we will soon be entering our busiest-ever period for product launches. We will bring 10 new models and derivatives to the European market – some in segments that are totally new to our business.”
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