Hyundai's i40 leads mid-size car sales in Europe

Hyundai Motor's family car i40 leads in sales of mid-size vehicles in the European market, industry data showed yesterday.
The i40, sold as a D-segment car in Europe, saw its sales reach 21,128 units in the January-August period, taking up 11.1 percent of Hyundai's total passenger car sales of 190,635 vehicles, according to the data.

Hyundai's two mid-size cars, the i40 and the Sonata, accounted for only 4.6 percent of its entire European sales last year, with 11,777 units of the i40 and a mere 36 units of the Sonata.

The figure has shown a dramatic jump on the back of the release of the i40, from less than 1 percent shares in 2009 and 2010.
The Korean carmaker has focused on smaller models like the i10, the i20 and the i30 in Europe.

"Sales of D-segment cars topped 10 percent this year. It means an expansion of our flagship models in Europe," said an official from Hyundai Motor. "The strong i40 sales will help us improve profitability and strengthen our image as a premium brand."

Hyundai sold 291,276 vehicles in Europe, up 10.6 percent from a year ago, in August. It seeks to hit 356,000 units in sales in the region by the end of the year.

Yonhap