Chinese Automakers Overtake Hyundai and Kia in Europe

Kia showcases the GT lineup of its EV models at the 2026 Paris Motor Show held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France on Oct. 12 (local time). (Photo provided by Joint Press Corps of the Paris Motor Show) Hyundai Motor’s European sales decreased by double digits this year. The combined market share of three Chinese automakers surpassed that of Hyundai Motor and Kia. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) on Oct. 22, Hyundai Motor and Kia sold 770,795 units in Europe from January to September this year, down 3.4% from last year. This contrasts with the overall market, combining the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the United Kingdom, which grew by 6.3% to 10,555,351 units. Market share fell by 0.7 percentage points to 7.3%. Hyundai Motor decreased by 13.2% to 348,928 units. Market share also went down by 0.7 percentage points to 3.3%. Kia increased by 6.6% to 421,867 units and maintained a 4.0% market share. During the same period last year, Hyundai Motor (402,085 units) sold more than Kia (395,834 units), but this year Kia was ahead by 72,939 units. The September performance showed the same trend. The European market grew by 10.2% to 1,363,210 units, but Hyundai Motor and Kia decreased by 1.7% to 96,258 units. Hyundai Motor decreased by 17.5% to 39,821 units, and Kia increased by 13.7% to 56,437 units. By region, Hyundai Motor’s decrease was significant in the UK and EFTA. Calculated based on the ACEA tally, Hyundai Motor’s sales from January to September decreased by 12.4% in the EU region and 16.1% in the UK and EFTA regions. In September, sales in the UK and EFTA regions plummeted by 32.0%. Meanwhile, Chinese automakers rapidly expanded their size. During the same period, BYD increased by 134.6% to 283,997 units, and Chery Automobile increased by 255.9% to 260,650 units. SAIC Motor also increased by 20.3% to 272,251 units. Calculated based on the ACEA tally, the combined sales of these three companies reached 816,898 units, recording a market share of 7.7% and surpassing Hyundai Motor and Kia. This is nearly double the amount from the same period last year (420,663 units). In September, Chery (52,801 units), BYD (49,953 units), and SAIC (41,987 units) all sold more than Hyundai Motor. ACEA tallies by group, so Chery and SAIC include their subsidiary brands. Europe’s electrification is also accelerating. Based on the EU, EFTA, and UK, pure electric vehicle registrations from January to September increased by 41.9% to 2,549,810 units. PHEVs increased by 22.4%, and hybrids by 9.9%. In contrast, gasoline and diesel vehicles decreased by 18.0% and 19.7%, respectively. Hyundai Motor and Kia maintained fourth place in market share, following Volkswagen Group, Stellantis, and Renault Group. There are also evaluations that they performed well, as their share is higher than BMW Group (7.1%) and Toyota Group (6.7%). However, analysis suggests that as Chinese automakers expand their territory from pure electric vehicles to PHEVs, they overlap with the main markets of Hyundai Motor and Kia. There are also points raised that Kia’s growth alone is limited in making up for Hyundai Motor’s decrease. Although the pure electric vehicle market grew by more than 40%, the Ioniq series was not on the list of major eco-friendly vehicles in Europe disclosed by Hyundai Motor. Concerns are emerging that if the introduction of new electric vehicles is delayed, the gap with Chinese automakers could widen further.