Hyundai, Kia's October Europe sales dip 1.4% amid lack of new models

Hyundai Motor's Kona SUV / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

Combined vehicle sales of Korea's leading automaker Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia in Europe fell 1.4 percent in October from a year earlier, industry data showed Tuesday, mainly due to a shortage of newly launched models.

According to the data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 81,540 vehicles in Europe last month, down from 82,734 units a year earlier.

"The monthly decline was mainly driven by a lack of new models introduced in the European market, among other factors," a Hyundai spokesperson said.

Hyundai Motor's sales slipped 0.8 percent to 41,137 units from 41,488 a year earlier, while Kia's fell 2 percent to 40,403 from 41,246.

In Europe, where emissions regulations are becoming increasingly stringent, the two carmakers are focusing on promoting eco-friendly models, including Hyundai's Tucson gasoline hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, the all-electric Kona, and Kia's all-electric EV3 and Niro plug-in hybrid models.

Last month, Hyundai and Kia together accounted for 7.5 percent of the European vehicle market, where overall sales rose 4.9 percent on-year to 1,091,904 units. Their combined market share was down 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier.

From January to October, the two companies' cumulative sales fell 2.8 percent to 879,479 units from 904,712 a year earlier. Their market share for the period also declined 0.4 percentage point on-year to 8 percent.