Hyundai, Kia’s Europe sales down 4.2 pct in June

Combined vehicle sales of Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., South Korea's leading automakers, in Europe fell 4.2 percent in June from a year ago, industry data showed Thursday. According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 102,078 units in Europe last month. ACEA data showed Hyundai Motor's sales rose 2.3 percent to 53,127 units, while those of Kia dropped 10.4 percent to 48,951 units. The combined market share of Hyundai and Kia last month stood at 7.8 percent, down 0.6 percentage point from last year. The South Korean automakers sold 563,862 units combined in Europe during the January-June period, down 2 percent from the same period last year. Hyundai's sales gained 4 percent to 281,518 units while those of Kia dropped 7.4 percent to 282,344 units. During the six-month period, Hyundai sold 64,254 Tucson units, followed by 42,151 Kona units and 32,220 i20 units in Europe. Kia sold 88,789 Sportage units, 61,860 Ceed units and 38,846 Niro units. Source: Yonhap News Agency