Seoul: Combined vehicle sales of South Korea's leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. in Europe rose 0.2 percent in November from a year earlier, supported by steady demand for eco-friendly models, industry data showed Tuesday. Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 79,901 vehicles in Europe last month, up from 79,744 units a year earlier, according to the data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

According to Yonhap News Agency, "Steady sales of Hyundai and Kia's gasoline hybrid and electric models supported the overall monthly performance," a company spokesperson said. Hyundai Motor's sales climbed 3.7 percent on-year to 41,026 units from 39,592, while Kia's sales fell 3.2 percent to 38,875 units from 40,152.

In Europe, where emissions regulations are becoming increasingly stringent, the two automakers are focusing on expanding sales of eco-friendly models, including Hyundai's Tucson gasoline hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, the all-electric Kona, and Kia's all-electric EV3 and Niro plug-in hybrid.

Last month, Hyundai and Kia together accounted for 7.4 percent of the European vehicle market, where overall sales rose 2.4 percent on-year to 1,079,563 units. Their combined market share fell 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier. From January to November, the two automakers' cumulative sales declined 2.6 percent on-year to 959,317 units from 984,541, while their combined market share slipped 0.4 percentage point to 7.9 percent.