According to figures released by automotive industry body ACEA, Hyundai has maintained its year-to-date market share of 3.5% during the first five months of 2013, showing an increase from the 3.3% share achieved in the same period last year. Hyundai remains on target to maintain the 3.5% full-year market share achieved in 2012.

Hyundai registrations of 36,468 units in May represented an increase of 0.4% versus the same month in 2012, while the overall market fell by 5.9%.

Allan Rushforth, senior vice president and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, said: "The European car market is increasingly hard-wired into fiscal policy. Car buyers are looking at more fuel-efficient cars in response to emissions-based vehicle taxation policy. This helps a company like Hyundai sell more cars - evidenced by the performance of our i20, i30 and i40.

"While consumer confidence is on the way up, there's still a deferral of vehicle purchases in Europe due to continued economic uncertainties. We anticipate there will be slow, organic growth in the European car market from the fourth quarter onward this year."

Figures from industry analyst IHS Global Insight show solid gains for Hyundai models in key European segments. In the four months to April 2013, the segment share of the B-segment new i20 rose from 2.2% to 2.7%, while new generation i30 registered a share increase from 4.5% to 4.8% in the competitive C1-segment. Hyundai has also secured gains in the class above, with i40 increasing its share of the D1-segment from 4.0% to 6.2% during the same period.
 

Author: Fleet News