 |
| Hyundai Motor's plant in Chennai, India / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its presence in the Indian market, which has evolved into the world's third-largest car market after the U.S. and China. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Monday, the combined sales of Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. in India from January to April reached 295,359 vehicles, approaching the 300,000 mark and up 15.5 percent from the same period last year.
Hyundai sold 197,408 vehicles, up 11.7 percent from the previous year, and Kia sold 97,951 vehicles, up 23.9 percent. Hyundai has increased its sales for 12 consecutive months since May last year, while Kia has seen sales growth for a total of 14 months from January last year through February this year. With sales usually higher in the second half of the year, both companies are expected to reach another all-time high and maintain Kia's four-year growth streak in India since its entry in 2019.
The Indian car market has grown rapidly since 2021. According to the Korean Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), the size of the Indian car market surpassed Japan's (4.2 million vehicles) and ranked among the world's top three car markets, growing by 26.7 percent from the previous year to 4.76 million vehicles.
 |
| A worker inspects a vehicle on the assembly line at Hyundai Motor's plant in Chennai, India. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
Hyundai and Kia's market share in India rose from 21.1 percent last year to 21.7 percent as of April this year, despite the strong presence of local companies such as Maruti and Tata.
"The company's focus on developing and producing car models tailored to the Indian market, centered around an India-specific strategic model, has made them popular in the Indian automotive market," a Hyundai Motor Group official said.
As of April this year, Hyundai's Verna (8,798 vehicles), Creta (53,670 vehicles) and Tucson (1,809 vehicles) each took the top spot in their respective car classes. Creta, a local strategic model, has been the top-selling mid-sized SUV in India for six years since its launch in 2016.
Hyundai's Venue (41,101 vehicles) and Kia's local strategic models, Seltos (32,249 vehicles) and Sonet (37,518 vehicles), are also ranked in the top three or four in their respective car classes. The multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Carnival (26,357 vehicles), which was selected for the Indian Car of the Year Award in January, also ranks second in its class.
![[INTERVIEW] 'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/796618f56a44402eabe81fe4530ab988.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
