SEOUL, KOREA - The combined global market share of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors passed the 9-percent mark in the second quarter of this year. The two automakers sold 2,004,000 units worldwide during the second quarter of this year.
Based on the estimates of American market research firm LMC Automotive, which reported that the world’s auto sales reached 21,987,000 units in the second quarter of this year, the combined market share of the two Korean carmakers stood at 9.1 percent.
This is up 0.8 percentage points from 8.3 percent a quarter ago. This figure is the second highest in the history of the two automakers, following the 9.4 percent level set in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Their combined global market share fell to 8.5 percent in the fourth quarter of last year and 8.3 percent in the first quarter of this year, after standing at 9.0 percent in the second and third quarter of last year.Key factors behind the surge in their market share include the increases in sales of their new cars such as Sonata and Genesis.