Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s leading automaker, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. posted a 10 percent rise in their sales in China in the first four months of the year, driven by rising demand for their small passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, industry data showed Sunday.

The two automakers sold a combined 582,890 units in the neighboring country in the January-April period, up 10.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the data.

Their market share also rose 0.2 percentage point from the end of last year to reach 10.6 percent.

Hyundai and Kia came in second in terms of sales in China in the first four months of the year, trailing Volkswagen, which claimed more than a 20 percent market share.

The carmakers, which together make up Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth-largest automaker, said strong sales of steady-selling models and good consumer demand contributed to the rise in overall numbers.

In March, sales of its Langdong, Yuedong, ix35, Mistra and Verna models all surpassed the 10,000-unit mark, with models like the Elantra and Santa Fe enjoying a steady rise in their sales, Hyundai said earlier. (Yonhap)