Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. saw their combined market share in the United States hit the highest in two years on the back of strong demand for their SUVs, industry sources said on May 6, 2019.

According to the sources, Hyundai and Kia logged a combined 8.2 percent in the world's No. 2 auto market in April, the highest in two years.

The headquarters of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors in Yangjae, southern Seoul.

Hyundai Motor saw its U.S. market share rise 0.4 percentage point from a month earlier to 4.3 percent last month, with the comparable figure for Kia being 3.9 percent, also up 0.1 percentage point.

Hyundai Motor sold 57,000 units in the U.S. last month, up 1.7 percent from a year earlier, and Kia's sales also increased 1.6 percent to 51,300 units over the cited period, the data showed.

Kia Motors, in particular, saw strong sales of the Telluride SUV, with its monthly sales exceeding 5,000 units for second month in a row.

Kia currently produces the Telluride at its U.S. plant for sales in the North American markets only.

Since its launch in February, its accumulated sales have reached almost 20,000 units, according to the sources.

Despite stronger-than-expected results in the U.S., the two automakers suffered an extended slump in other markets.

Last month, Hyundai sold some 297,500 units in overseas markets, down 9.3 percent from a year earlier. Kia also suffered a 2.5 percent drop in its overseas sales to 185,700 units last month.

The main cause for their slump was their worst-ever performance in China.(Yonhap)

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