Kia K5 hybrid and Hyundai Sonata hybrid sales rise in Korea

Hyundai and Kia seem to be well on track to sell 11.000 Sonata Hybrid and 6.000 K5 hybrid cars in Korea this year!

These are heady times for Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia here in the US, with both of them posting record breaking sales figures and picking up design awards at a prodigious clip.

They have both pounced on the woes of Toyota and Honda, carving out a solid niche stateside, by providing cars that are reliable, affordable, and, probably most importantly for most, great on gas.

This success story is all well and good, but it begs the question; does that success here translate to sales and success in their homeland?

Before we answer that question, it may be a good idea to look at the current shift in the car market towards green-friendly, hybrid vehicles, as opposed to the gas guzzlers that have dominated the US market in particular.

The ridiculously high price of gas, a trend that shows no sign of slowing down, has driven the auto buying public to search for alternatives in the shape of fuel friendly cars and hybrid models produced by their favorite manufacturer.

It is that trend that has helped boost the sales of Hyundai and Kia at home and abroad.

Here in the US, hybrid vehicles have made massive gains over the past few months with the Kia Optima Hybrid (K5 in Korea) leading the way with an astounding 300 percent leap in sales last month, and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid also boasted impressive gains, selling 1.780 units, a 20 percent increase over the previous month.

While both have a long way to go to match the numbers of the Toyota Prius, they are making steady gains. But, to get back to our initial question, has that success carried over in the South Korean market? The simple answer is yes, and a quick look at the sales figures will back that up.

Despite the heftier price tag of the hybrid versions, Koreans seem more than will to pony up the extra 3 million won (roughly $2.850) feeling that the extra investment will pay itself back in the long term; it would appear that gas prices are affecting people the world over.

July was a particularly strong month, with the Sonata Hybrid moving 1.500  units and the K5 Hybrid accounting for a further 729 units. Those numbers accounted for 15 percent of total sales of both models (7.772 units of Sonata and 7.051 units of Kia K5)

Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group credits much of that success with the technology used in the manufacturing of their vehicles; a lithium-ion-polymer battery pack is used in their cars, rather than the standard nickel-hydrogen batteries used in their competitors cars. According to the carmaker, that results in higher power and energy densities, and is almost 25% lighter which helps boost fuel efficiency.

As long as gas prices continue to stay at current levels, or higher, automakers can expect to see a continuation of these high hybrid sales figures. By embracing the technology and striving to make those models as efficient as possible, they can expect to improve their bottom line.