Hyundai & Kia place first in foreign car sales market.

1/11 Tass 37

SEOUL, November 1 (Itar-Tass) - The leading South Korean carmakers
Hyundai Motors and the Kia Motors firm, incorporated in the same group,
again placed first in imported car sales in Russia in the third quarter,
reported on Sunday the leading South Korean think tank in this industry -
Korean car research institute.
These two companies sold 32,000 cars in the Russian market between
July and September, which is 9.4 percent of the total volume of sales.
Thus, the two South Korean carmakers outstripped American General Motors
which sold 24,000 automobiles (7.1 percent). Compact models and sport
cross-country vehicles with the Kia Motors trademark sold quickly under
conditions of the global economic crisis.
Hyundai and Kia also gained leading positions in Russia in the third
quarter of 2008 with 10.5 percent of their share in the market. Then,
their share dropped to 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter, which helped GM
to snatch the leadership and to hold this position to the end of the
second quarter this year.
Over the same time, the two South Korean companies sold 229,000 cars
in the United States, or 29.2 percent more than over the corresponding
period last year. Thus, they placed fifth in the American market. This
figure for Hyundai and Kia in the Chinese market totalled 229,000 cars
(10.1 percent) in the third quarter, or 159.8 percent more than in the
previous year.
-0-bur/kud