Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai, Kia
Hyundai-Kia pass Honda to become world's 5th largest automaker
Less than a decade ago, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group was ranked 11th in the world in total sales volume. According to the latest publishing of the Automotive News 2008 Global Data Book, the automaker has impressively passed Honda to take 5th position. To climb six positions in just eight years isn't a simple accomplishment as it required stepping over such global automakers as Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda. Last year, Hyundai-Kia sold 3,961,629 automobiles worldwide (Hyundai sold 467,000, and Kia 305,473 in the United States alone). While they still have a long way before they reach 4th position currently held by Ford (global sales of 5,964,000 in 2007), their move into other markets as witnessed by the luxurious 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the group's favorable June automotive sales (even in a depressed market) demonstrate the increasing strength of the Korean automaker.
[Source: AutoIndustry]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
sw 3:07PM (7/04/2008)
#1 in 2020?
Reply
rouse42 3:41PM (7/04/2008)
2018
Torrent 3:55PM (7/04/2008)
Maybe.
DJ 4:16PM (7/04/2008)
Do you mean #1 target of Autoblog 'import' car bashers?
rouse42 4:30PM (7/04/2008)
when ford and gm crumble it will only be toyota and vw standing in the way.
why not the LS2LS7? 5:03PM (7/04/2008)
Honda will never be #1. They make great cars, and they're a good company. But they don't seem bent on world domination, they're not branching out enough into every niche as much as they would need to do that.
Which is fine with me. Being #1 is overrated anyway. GM was #1 in the 80s while making crap.
HotRodzNKustoms 5:22PM (7/04/2008)
@rouse42
VW???
Really???
That's like the U.S. being concerned Switzerland is going to invade.
Zane 6:34PM (7/04/2008)
WhynottheLS2: I believe this article is about Hyundai and not Honda. :)
Franz 7:02PM (7/04/2008)
@ Zane:
The headline says they just surpassed Honda for the #5 spot so I think his comments on Honda are justified in this blog. :)
why not the LS2LS7? 9:45PM (7/04/2008)
Yeah, those comments are both misplaced (should have been below) and a bit off track. I stand behind them though, just not sure they're relevant.
Matt 10:53PM (7/04/2008)
I was a huge fan of Hyundai and their improvements. Like GM, they seemed to have been upping their quality: the 2006 Accent, Sonata, 2007 Elantra and Sante Fe, and now the 2009 Geneis all look incredible, and I've been in the first four listed (including owning a 2006 Sonata) and thought they were all really nice quality.
However my 2006 Hyundai Sonata has NOT lived up the test of time. I've had her in three seperate times for weird engine noises, check engine light, terrible gas mileage (24.5 MPG tops, pump-calculated, on the highway... with my FOUR CYLINDER doing 65-67 MPH on cruise like an old lady), the transmission several times (including having a solenoid valve shaft, and the tranny wiring harness replaced) for it's light as well, it still shifts hard sometimes, let's see... my battery died in March so I replaced it with an Interstate at the dealership near me. Every 2-3 weeks my car dies in the middle of the night and I need to have it towed. I've been told by neighbors and loved ones that my parking and/or head lights come on in the middle of the night for no reason, and the dealer has spent all of 10 minutes looking at it. They suggesed my radio head-unit somehow causes my LIGHTS to turn on, and because the radio is out of warranty expect me to spend $1200 for an OEM radio. Sounds like a cop-out to me, and Hyundai's Regional reps have refused to even TALK to me about it let alone look at it.
Actually, after spending... four or five hours on the phone with Hyundai of America about it I was told that my 2006 Sonata, with 50,000 miles on it, is no longer going to be looked at for free for WARRANTY REPAIRS (!!) even though the warranty is good until 60,000 bumper to bumper (I'm the second owner - the first was an older gentleman who put on 30,000 miles in 2 1/2 years, light miles). Which sucks because just last week one of my wheel bearings started sounding like it was going, and one or both of my break pads are somehow misaligned and rubbing on the rotors in the front whenever on the highway - so I have a lovely loud squealing sound. Doesn't happen when I brake, ironically. After calling Hyundai the other day for THOSE two NEW problems, I was told they wouldn't even allow a DEALER to LOOK at either issue under my warranty, and that I'd have to pay out of pocket?!?!?
Yeah... not a huge fan of them anymore, and seriously considering trading her in before the THOUSAND DOLLAR 60,000 mile maintaince is due in the next half a year. Not to mention the cost of an aftermarket radio (which I'd spend some cash on, to get something decent), new pads (or fix the alignment or whatever with the existing ones), and one or more wheel bearings. Oh, and coming in from my lunch break at work this evening, my car alarm stopped working, meaning it no longer sets the alarm when using my key-fob, only locks the doors. Yippee??
And Hyundai won't even TALK TO ME about it, let alone LOOK AT IT.
rouse42 12:04AM (7/05/2008)
@HotRodzNKustoms
are you forgetting what all VW group ownes?
Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lambo, Scania, Seat, Skoda
They are currently ranked 4th
this article is not just about US sales but Worldwide sales.
dea911 3:13PM (7/04/2008)
while I am no fan of those cars and will never own one I still have to commend them on this accomplishment.
good for them. (i always love the underdogs)
Reply
Juan 6:19PM (7/04/2008)
you know what they say: Never say Never...
Kotse 3:14PM (7/04/2008)
With products like the Genesis, Soul & Forte...the HyKi Grp would most likely surpass Ford in no time.
Reply
pmiddle5 3:25PM (7/04/2008)
They need a pick up and a work van
black 3:40PM (7/04/2008)
Toyota, up until last year, hasn't had a true full size pickup nor do they have any commercial duty vehicles, yet they still outsell Ford. VW has no pickups in their lineup, yet they easily outsell Ford by a wide margin.
Aprime 4:18PM (7/04/2008)
They already have a work van, just not in the US.
No clue about a pickup, never inquired the matter.
BigWill 4:31PM (7/04/2008)
Hyundai already has a van - the i800 8-seater they sell in Europe with a 2.5 turbodiesel that gets an estimated 28 US mpg (33.2 on the Euro cycle). It wouldn't take much to make a work version.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/05/11/hyundai-intros-28mpg-full-size-diesel-i800-van-in-europe/
Kotse 4:37PM (7/04/2008)
pmiddle5,
Hyundai/Kia had plans for a pickup..but had to refocus to smaller cars due to the economy and the America's current aversion to trucks...
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/09/hyundai-kia-cancels-plan-for-u-s-pickup/
Regarding a work van, Hyundai's been selling the Starex/H-1 (aka i800 recently intro in Europe) close to 10yrs already in Asia..targeted against the VW Transporter, Mercedes Benz Vito and the Ford Transit
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2007/05/2007-hyundai-h1-van-also-known-as.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/08/hyundai-launches-i800-full-size-van-in-europe/