Kia Motors Corp. saw its global market share come to 2.9 percent, the highest ever for the company, in 2010, industry data showed Sunday.

According to the carmaker, it sold about 2.09 million units ― about 485,000 units domestically and 1.605 million units overseas ― in 2010. Comparing the figure to the world market volume of 71.35 million units calculated by J.D. Power and Associates, Kia’s global market share comes in at 2.9 percent.

In 2007 the company captured 1.9 percent of the world market, and 2.1 percent in the following year. By 2009 the figure had risen to 2.6 percent.

Along with the rise in global market share, the country’s second largest carmaker saw its domestic market share rise above the 30-percent mark for the first time in 15 years in 2010.

While Kia’s affiliate Hyundai Motor Co.’s retail sales figure for 2010 has not yet been released, the company averaged at 5.1 percent global market share during the first three quarters of last year, leading industry watchers to project that Hyundai Motor Group’s world market share will come in at more than 8 percent for the first time.

Hyundai is reported to have delivered nearly 3.61 million newly assembled vehicles last year, but the carmaker’s overall sales are expected to come in at between 3.7 million and 3.8 million units due to a significant increase in sales of backlog vehicles.

For periods for which Hyundai’s sales figures are known, the two carmakers’ combined global market share came in at 7.5 percent for the first quarter of last year, which rose to 8 percent during the second quarter.

The figure increased again to 8.6 percent for the third quarter, but the two carmakers’ combined market share has yet to break the 8 percent mark on an annual basis.

In 2007, Hyundai Motor Group’s two carmakers took 6.1 percent of the global market, and 6.4 percent in 2008.

In the following year the figure came in at 7.8 percent.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)