Korean Autos in Paris

Hyundai, Kia, and GM Daewoo display latest models at the int'l motor show

Paris Motor Show from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8 in Paris, has attracted major car makers to its display booths, including concept cars and latest models of passenger vehicles.
Both Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors participated in the motor show in the French capital with various car models shown in their large booths.
Kia, for one, brought to Paris 22 models of its 11 car lines, at its spacious 488-best show room. Among those on display were a concept car, "Proceed"and an European-style passenger car "Ceed."Ceed is a medium-range hatchback passenger car model with five doors to be manufactured at its Slovakian car plant to go online at the end of the year. Proceed is a different version of Ceed with only three doors, sporty and hatchback with daring colors and sporty designs. Kia displayed new Opirus, Picanto, and Rio passenger cars.
Kim Bong-kyung, managing director of Kia Motors, said the introduction of Ceed at the motor show has boosted Kia's brand name in the European car market.
Hyundai Motor, in the meantime,
displayed a slew of its car models in its 413-best showroom including its concept car, Arnejs, along with 16 models over 17 lines. Arnejs is a five-door hatchback model, which will be targeted for sale in Europe, along with Accent, and Elantra. The largest car maker in Korea also put on show Grandeur TG model to be marketed in Korea from the end of the year, remodeled Tuscani, Atos, Click, three-door Verna, Tucson, Santa Fe, Trajet, Lavita and NF Sonata, among others.
The company opened for journalists only on Sept. 28, the opening day of the motor show, and presidents of its agent companies in the world.
CEOs of automakers from Korea all converged in Paris to lead marketing efforts for their firms and boost the brand images of their car models in the show. Kia Motors President Chung Ui-son, GM Daewoo Motor President Michael Grimaldi and officials from Renault-Samsung Motor attended the Paris show to get whip of the latest auto industry trends. For Hyundai Motor, managing director Lee Bong-koo and Vice President Kang Moon-seok for Ssangyong Motor have been to Paris.
Heads of major world car makers also visited the auto show, including Carlos Ghosn, chairman of Renault-Nissan Group, Toyota, GM, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, among others.
The Paris Motor Show is the fourth largest auto show in the world, after Detroit Motor Show, Frankfurt Motor Show, and Tokyo Motor Show.
Hyundai Motor's global sales climbed to 224,537 units in August, up 73.9 percent over the previous month. Korean sales of passenger cars, SUVs, and commercial vehicles reached 51,314 units for a 82.6 percent month-on-month improvement while overseas sales totaled 173,223 units for a 71.5 percent m-o-m gain.
The company's sedan sales in the Korean market rose by 116.7 percent m-o-m to 8,252 units claimed the number one sales spot. Sales of SUVs and minivans posted a 27.8 percent jump to 8,252 units fueled by brisk sales of the new Santa Fe. Sales of sedans, SUVs, and passenger minivans totaled 39,498 units for a 89.2 percent gain over July.
Sales of buses, and trucks in Korea jumped 63.6 percent to 11,816 units. August export shipment from Hyundai's three Korean plants combined with sales by the company's four overseas manufacturing subsidiaries reached 173,223 units, up 71.5 percent from July. The Indian, Chinese, Turkish and U.S. plants posted sales of 76,600 units in August, up 8.4 percent m-o-m. August shipments from Hyundai's three Korean plants totaled 96,623 units, up by 218.3 percent over the previous month.
Kia Motors said its overseas retail sales of passenger cars and light trucks in August recorded 67,076 units, representing a 1.6 percent year-on-year increase.
Cumulatively through the first eight months of this year, Kia's overseas sales have risen by 3.6 percent y-o-y to reach 562,365 units with Europe showing the largest gain at 6.6 percent. North American sales have increased by 3.1 percent while general market sales have decreased by 0.3 percent through the month of August. nw