By Choi He-suk

Hyundai Kia Automotive Group's October U.S. sales jumped nearly 50 percent from the same month last year, industry data showed yesterday.

According to the U.S. automotive industry publication Ward's Auto, the combined sales of the group's two carmakers - Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. - rose 47.4 percent from a year ago to come in at 53,495 units.

Separately, Hyundai's sales rose at a slightly higher rate of 48.9 percent while Kia's October sales increased by 45.3 percent from a year earlier.

The increase rates recorded by the two carmakers is the largest among light vehicle brands marketed in the United States, and nearly 14 times higher than the average increase rate for foreign brands.

According to Ward's Auto's data, the combined October sales of foreign brands rose 3.5 percent from a year earlier to come in at about 464,000 units. Non-U.S. auto brands sales last month were 10.7 percent higher than the figure recorded in September.

Including U.S. carmakers' sales, the October U.S. market saw no year-on-year change, but expanded by 12.3 percent from September.

"The U.S. market demand is recovering and some of our competitors are also seeing sales rise in the United States," a Hyundai official said.

"But our aggressive marketing strategies such as the Hyundai Assurance program appear to have helped in achieving higher growth rates."

For the year to date, Hyundai's U.S. sales have risen by 4.1 percent from last year, while Kia has seen a 7.2 percent rise. With the exception of Subaru, whose sales increased 12.7 percent, Hyundai and Kia are the only carmakers to see year-on-year sales rise over the period in the United States.

Over the same period, the United States' imported carmaker slipped 20.6 percent. Including U.S. carmakers the market for the first 10 months of the year has shrank by 25.4 percent compared the same period last year.

(cheesuk@heraldm.com)