Hyundai Motor Group Shows Strong Performance in Southeast Asia, a Stronghold of Japanese Cars

Vietnam Hyundai Motor homepage capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have recently been performing well in the Southeast Asian market, which has long been considered a stronghold of Japanese cars.

According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) data on the 26th, the combined local sales of Hyundai and Kia in Vietnam from January to May this year reached 47,860 units, nearly double that of Japan's Toyota (24,112 units).

Hyundai Motor took first place with 24,420 units, surpassing Toyota, while Kia ranked third with 23,440 units.

Hyundai Motor has been performing strongly since it ranked first in sales in the Vietnamese automobile market for the first time last year, maintaining the number one monthly sales position for two consecutive months since April this year.

Vietnam is the fourth largest automobile market in Southeast Asia after Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and is attracting attention as its automobile market is rapidly growing along with recent economic growth.

Hyundai Motor Group is also making strides in India. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Hyundai and Kia recorded combined sales of 36,501 units in India last month, surpassing Maruti Suzuki (32,903 units) for the first time to take first place.

Production, which had been sluggish due to COVID-19, is reportedly returning to normal. According to local media, Hyundai will expand the production line at its Chennai plant from two shifts to three shifts starting this week. Kia is also expected to start three shifts at its Tapur plant soon and increase production.

Last month, as COVID-19 cases surged nationwide in India, with daily confirmed cases reaching 400,000, Hyundai Motor Group shut down some local production plants and switched to a two-shift work system, reducing production volume.

However, since the beginning of this month, as the number of COVID-19 cases in India has decreased to around 50,000 to 100,000 daily, most local automakers, including Hyundai and Kia, have been gradually returning to normal operations. Major local automakers such as Maruti Suzuki, Honda, and Tata have resumed plant operations and are increasing production.

In addition, Hyundai Motor is establishing a production base in Indonesia, where Japanese cars hold a market share of 96%.

Hyundai is investing $1.55 billion (approximately 1.823 trillion KRW) to build a factory in the Deltamas industrial complex in Bekasi City, Indonesia. Starting at the end of this year, it plans to produce 150,000 vehicles annually, with the production capacity expected to increase to up to 250,000 vehicles in the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.