Say what you want about the South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia. Their rough start has turned into a great year in Europe and with March’s passing, it only gets better. In March the sister automakers recorded their highest monthly sales ever across the pond. Sales of the automaker’s European models stretched across the 27 member states of the European Union.
On Hyundai’s end, over 54,000 units left dealer lots and hit roadways. That figure is up 17.6% since last year when it sold only 46,285 units. March has proved to be one of the automaker’s best sales months. The previous record was set in March 2012 with 48,001 units sold. Thanks to the sales increase, Hyundai’s market share also increased to 3.4%.
Hyundai’s record monthly sales were due to the i10 and i20 mini-cars, moving 11,363 and 10,297 units respectively. The Tucson iX had a great month too, selling 10,764 of the model. On the other side, Kia’s best selling model was the Sportage SUV with 12,596 units sold.
Kia set its own record with a 10.6% sales increase measuring up to 43,671 units. The previous record, set in March 2014, was 40,479 units. While Hyundai’s market share increased, Kia’s remained at 2.7%. Combined, the sister automakers hold 6.1% of the European market.