New delhi: Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. exhibited significant sales growth in India during the initial five months of the year, propelled by high demand for their sport utility vehicle (SUV) lineups, as indicated by industry data on Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Hyundai's passenger vehicle sales in India reached 266,317 units from January to May, marking a 10.1 percent increase compared to the previous year, based on data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Kia also saw sales rise by 14.6 percent during the same period.

Hyundai secured the fourth position in India's passenger vehicle market, following Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra and Mahindra, while Kia placed sixth, just behind Toyota. Combined sales for both Hyundai and Kia under the Hyundai Motor Group amounted to 405,514 units from January to May, reflecting an 11.6 percent growth from the previous year.

The companies attributed their growth primarily to their SUV lineups. Hyundai's top-selling models, the Creta and Venue, comprised over half of its total sales during this period. Kia experienced similar success with the Seltos and Sonet models, which made up 76.3 percent of its sales in India.