Hyundai Motor and Kia firmly maintained their position among the global “Big Three” automakers in the first quarter of this year. Toyota and Volkswagen held onto their respective first and second place rankings. With increasing uncertainty in global trade policies—including potential tariff changes—attention is now focused on whether Hyundai and Kia can continue to hold their top-three position.
According to industry sources on April 30, Hyundai and Kia sold a combined total of 1.77 million vehicles globally from January to March, marking a 1% increase compared to the same period last year. This secured them the No. 3 spot in global auto sales.
By brand, Hyundai sold 1,001,120 units, while Kia sold 772,648 units. Hyundai’s sales fell by 0.6% year-over-year, but excluding China, they rose by 1.3%. Kia posted a 1.6% increase over the same period last year.
This performance is largely attributed to the companies’ successful strategy of increasing their focus on high value-added vehicles such as hybrids. Strong preemptive demand in the U.S. ahead of expected tariffs, along with solid results not only in Europe but also in emerging markets like India, contributed significantly to their performance.
Toyota maintained its position as the global leader, selling 2,715,384 vehicles in Q1—an impressive 7.5% year-over-year increase. Volkswagen Group came in second with 2,133,600 vehicles sold, a 1.4% rise from the same period last year.
An industry official commented, “It is a meaningful achievement that Hyundai and Kia held onto third place globally despite Toyota’s strong growth,” adding, “Amid an uncertain global trade environment, geopolitical risks, and weakening consumer sentiment, flexible production strategies tailored to demand and the optimal use of incentives will be essential going forward.”
