By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter

Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, South Korea's largest carmaker, said Thursday the company is confident on the sales of its first couple of hybrid models that are about to hit the market.

``The hybrid editions of the Avante and Forte sedans have sufficient competitiveness as the world's first liquefied petroleum injection (LPI) hybrid products,'' Lee Ki-sang, Hyundai-Kia's vice president of hybrid vehicle development, told reporters during a press conference at the auto giant's Seoul headquarters.

``Hyundai-Kia expects to secure an edge in technologies on eco-friendly vehicles with the successful release of these models.''

At the conference, Hyundai-Kia made a presentation about the two vehicles, as well introducing current global research and development of hybrid vehicles.

Park Dong-chul, the director of the Korea Automotive Research Institute said competition in this newly emerging field is picking up, evolving into an international battle backed by governments.

``Predictions used to prevail that the market would contract amid the global financial crisis, but the competition is intensifying around these eco-friendly vehicles,'' Park said. ``That means Korea needs to pay more attention to this. Consequently, the importance of securing independent technologies is becoming a key issue in the business.''

Hyundai and its affiliate Kia will both launch their first-ever commercial hybrid models in tandem. Following the debut of Hyundai's Avante LPI this month, Kia plans to introduce the Forte LPI compact sedan in August.

While their major rivals use gasoline, including Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight, Hyundai and Kia's hybrid products are powered by liquid petroleum gas and lithium polymer batteries. Both models are equipped with an LPI engine, which generates 114 horsepower, and a 15-kilowatt electric motor.

The Avante LPI runs 17.8 kilometer per liter of fuel. Even though the Avante hybrid lags behind its Japanese competitors in fuel economy, it could still appeal to customers with the price edge of LPG fuel, Lee of Hyundai-Kia said.

Hyundai looks to sell 8,000 Avante LPIs, priced between 20 million won ($15,832) to 23 million won, domestically by the end of the year.

On the same day, the carmaker said pre-sale orders for the Avante have surpassed 1,000 since it began to receive them on June 15.

hckim@koreatimes.co.kr