Hyundai, Kia sell 100 mln vehicles in 54 years after launch

South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors have sold almost 100 million vehicles in 54 years after their establishment, the companies said Monday.

The top two South Korean automakers have sold a total of 99.7 million cars in the global market through March since they began selling cars in 1962.

Hyundai has sold 64.02 million units, with Kia having sold 35.68 million units.

Their global car sales are expected to top a landmark 100 million level in April, the companies said in a joint statement.

Global car sales of the two companies topped 10 million for the first time in 1993, surpassing the 50 million level in 2008.

The companies started growing at a fast pace under the current leadership since 2000, accounting for about 80 percent of the total global sales. Since 2000, Hyundai and Kia have sold a total of 78.54 million cars.

Hyundai and Kia posted their combined global sales of over 8 million units annually for two straight years through last year, becoming the world's fifth-largest carmaker in sales.

The companies grew fast on the back of strong exports, which accounted for more than two thirds of total car sales.

Their overseas car sales began to surpass domestic sales since 1998. Enditem