Beijing Hyundai aims to offer best-quality cars

Shanghai, March 13 (Gasgoo.com) Beijing Hyundai sold 32,008 vehicles in February, up 72.3% from a year earlier, keeping its No. 4 spot among China's top 10 best-selling automakers and increasing its overall market-share to 7.1%, sina.com said today. The joint venture is also striving to have one of China's three best-quality car brands within three years.

In the February sales of Beijing Hyundai, the Elantra (Yuedong) sold 24,664 units, extending its lead in the monthly sales of a single brand in China's medium-sized car market. The joint venture's major models Elantra and Accent with engines below 1.6L are reaping the benefits of the Chinese government's small-car tax cuts and other stimulus measures.

Beijing Hyundai posted a sales increase for two straight months last month in the Chinese car market. The company recorded a 17% surge in sales in January, ranking fourth in China's passenger car sector. Beijing Hyundai's success amid slowing global car sales is attributed to the government's efforts to stimulate the auto industry.

After launching the all-new Elantra in April 2008 as part of Hyundai's promise to release at least one new model in China each year, Beijing Hyundai will roll out the Hyundai i30 hatchback in the first half of 2009. The company said that it is striving to boost its brand image and to have one of China's three best-quality car brands by early 2012.

Hyundai Motor expects to sell at least 360,000 vehicles in the Chinese market this year. The forecast is a 23% rise from last year's 294,000 vehicles the S. Korean carmaker sold through its Chinese venture Beijing Hyundai.