Hyundai-Kia tops China’s SUV market

Hyundai Kia Automotive Group was rated as the top sellers of sport utility vehicles in China during the second quarter of the year, industry sources said.

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. sold a combined 51,908 SUVs in the Chinese market in the April-June period, outpacing Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp., which sold 42,196 SUV units, according to the sources.

In the first half of the year, Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 90,534 SUV units in China, accounting for 15.7 percent of the Chinese SUV market. 

However, they came in second to Toyota, which sold 92,489 SUV units in the January-June period, accounting for 16.1 percent, the sources said.

Hyundai and Kia sell four compact SUV models, including the Tuscon and Sportage, in the world‘s largest car market.

The Korean auto manufacturers are planning to add a new SUV model to their lineup later this year to compete with other foreign rivals in China. 

Meanwhile, union workers at Hyundai Motor Co., voted Saturday to approve a new wage agreement, avoiding a strike over annual salary negotiations for the second straight year, the company and the union said.