The achievement was registered in China and Europe, where the South Koreans reported the biggest gains. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, the Korean group was more appealing to the customers on the Old Continent, outpacing Toyota for the first half of the year.
The difference between the two rivals is not big, but it is there. Hyundai-Kia sold 3,000 automobiles more than Toyota, mostly because the Japanese manufacturer declined by 11 percent. Hyundai-Kia sold 329,695 units in the first six month of the year in Europe.
On the continent, the appeal of the cars made by the two companies has reflected into the nominations for the 2011 European Car of the Year as well. Kia has two models on the list, the Sportage and Venga, while Hyundai the new iX35.
A similar outcome was reported in China, where the South Koreans sold a total of 489,500 vehicles, also more that Toyota managed to sell.
The great results reported for the first half made the South Koreans eye 1 million units sold this year in China. Since the current lineup is not enough to insure such an outcome, the two carmakers plan to roll out several new models on the local market. According to kia-world.net, the new models will include the redesigned Cerato, a new version of the Forte and the new Sportage.
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