Hyundai reaches 5 million unit milestone in Europe

Hyundai first stepped into Europe in 1977 with the Pony. It took them almost 20 years to sell its millionth car in 1996. The second, third and fourth millions came relatively quicker – the 2 million mark was touched in 2001; 3 million was reached four years later in 2005; and it was 4 million in 2008.

For 27 consecutive months leading to March 2011, Hyundai has outperformed the market sales trend in Europe, a trend culminating in the sale of the five millionth Hyundai in vehicle this year.

The company views the i30’s introduction in 2007 as a significant moment. Designed and engineered to appeal to European customers, the i30 ushered in a new generation of Hyundai cars that make a hugely attractive line-up worth anybody’s consideration. The new generation of vehicles saw Hyundai raise its market share in Europe to a record 2.6% in 2010. Bear in mind the amount of choices available in Europe, 2.6% is an impressive number.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “Hitting five million sales is a wonderful achievement for Hyundai, and it marks us out as a major player in what is the world’s most competitive car market. But this is just the beginning for the brand. We are planning for further sales growth during 2011, to take us to 3% market share in Europe. And in the longer term we expect the quality and desirability of our cars to help us maintain our momentum and deliver our next five million sales in a much shorter time frame.”

Moving forward, Hyundai looks to further expand its operations in Europe. Its plant in the Czech Republic has increased in annual output to 300,000 units, and work continues in its European R&D centre in Germany producing low-emission diesel engines and new models.

KON

See also:
– Hyundai reveals new brand image at Detroit
– Hyundai shows off new identity in Geneva