[THE INVESTOR] Kia Motors' car sales have surged in Mexico in recent months, beating out bigger affiliate Hyundai Motor in terms of total unit sales.

According to data released by the Mexican Auto Industry Association on Aug. 24, Kia sold 5,510 cars in July to rank No. 8 among automakers in the market, while Hyundai ranked No. 10, selling 3,054 vehicles during the same period.

Kia sold a total of 29,006 cars in the January-July period, which compares to Hyundai’s 19,822 unit sales. 

It’s a major feat for South Korea’s second-largest automaker, which began selling its vehicles in Mexico in July 2015 when the first plant opened in the country.

The new facility -- which mainly manufactures the K3 sedan, sold as Forte outside of Korea -- has led the upward trend, industry insiders say.

With its rising monthly sales, Kia captured 3.4 percent of the country’s auto market share in the cited period. The automaker plans to boost the figure to 5 percent by 2020.

“The Mexico plant serves as a production facility to supply North Americas and Central and South America, as well as catering to the continuously growing Mexican market,” a Kia official said.

Kia plans on rolling out its Niro compact SUV to increase its product lineup in the country by the end of this year.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)