Hyundai Motor auto sales jump 25% in Aug

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, said Tuesday its auto sales jumped 25.1 per cent last month from a year ago, helped by strong demand for its vehicles at home and overseas.
 
Hyundai sold 245,876 vehicles in August with overseas sales growing 25.6 per cent to 199,035 units and domestic sales gaining 23.2 per cent to 46,841 units.

In the United States, the biggest overseas market for Hyundai, the South Korean carmaker benefited from the U.S. government's "cash-for-clunkers" program designed to kick-start auto sales.

The August sales data came after the stock market closed. Buoyed by expectations that Hyundai may post strong sales for last month, shares of Hyundai jumped 7.55 per cent to finish at a record 114,000 won (US$91.8) in Seoul.