Seoul:<Text>

Sales of South Korea's leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. in Europe experienced a 5.5 percent rise in March compared to the same period last year, driven by strong demand for eco-friendly models. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association reported that the two companies sold a combined total of 116,827 vehicles in Europe last month, an increase from 110,734 units sold a year earlier.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Hyundai Motor saw its sales climb by 6.5 percent year-on-year to reach 53,407 units in March, while Kia's sales rose 4.7 percent to 63,420 units, up from 60,586 units the previous year. A spokesperson from the company attributed this growth to robust sales of gasoline hybrid and electric models.

As Europe tightens emissions regulations, Hyundai and Kia are strategically expanding their range of eco-friendly vehicles. This includes Hyundai's Tucson hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, the all-electri c Kona, and Kia's EV3 and Niro plug-in hybrid models. Despite this focus, the combined market share for Hyundai and Kia slipped by 0.4 percentage points to 7.4 percent in March.

Overall, vehicle sales in Europe increased by 11 percent year-on-year, reaching a total of 1,581,169 units last month. However, in the January-March period, cumulative sales by Hyundai and Kia decreased by 2.7 percent to 260,018 units, down from 267,297 a year earlier. Their combined market share also experienced a slight decline of 0.5 percentage points to 7.4 percent. Notably, Hyundai's sales figures include those from its independent Genesis brand.