Hyundai, Kia's Europe sales more than double in May

Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia said Thursday their combined sales in Europe more than doubled last month from a year earlier on robust demand and lower base effect.

Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 88,171 vehicles in Europe in May, sharply up from 42,492 units in the same month a year ago, the companies' sales data showed. 

The monthly result got a boost from strong sales of Hyundai's Tucson and Kona sport utility vehicles and Kia's Sportage SUV and Cee'd crossover utility vehicle, a Hyundai spokesman said. 

From January to May, the corporate duo's overall sales jumped 37 percent to 388,711 atos from 283,170 units in the same period of last year. 

In the first five months, they accounted for 7.5 percent of the European automobile market, up from 7.2 percent in the year-ago period. (Yonhap)