Hyundai Motor's sales in European market expand amid US tariffs

Seoul, Oct 19 (IANS) Sales of Hyundai Motor have been expanding in the European market in recent months, even as the company struggles in the United States due to tariffs, data showed on Sunday.

In Austria, Hyundai Motor sold 1,966 passenger cars in September, up 102 percent from a year earlier, ranking third in market share at 7.6 percent, according to the company's investor relations report.

Its flagship sport utility vehicle (SUV), Tucson, was the bestselling model with 455 units sold last month, reports Yonhap news agency.

Cumulative sales from January through September climbed 28 percent on-year to 8,604 units. Hyundai Motor sold 11,354 cars last year in Austria, ranking sixth.

In Germany, Hyundai Motor's large electric SUV, the Ioniq 9, has been named the top premium car by the German Car of the Year 2026 Award, beating out other luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

The model received the honour just three months after its launch in the European market.

Hyundai Motor plans to strengthen its presence in Europe along with both its electric vehicles (EVs) and gasoline-powered models tailored to local demand, including the i20 and i10 compacts.

"We will expand market shares in Europe with models designed for the region," said a Hyundai official. "We also plan to broaden our eco-friendly and SUV lineups to better meet European customers' needs."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor posted a 22 percent drop in second-quarter net profit, while sales rose 7.3 percent on-year, impacted by the 25 percent tariffs on South Korean-made vehicles that took effect in April.

Last month, Hyundai Motor said its Ioniq 9 electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) has received the highest safety rating of five stars from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

The Ioniq 9 earned praise for maintaining a stable passenger compartment in crash tests and for its advanced safety features. In particular, the model scored highly in the child occupant protection category.

—IANS

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