Hyundai-Kia pass Honda to become world's 5th largest automaker

[Sal Collaziano]

Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai, Kia


Less than a decade ago, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group was ranked 11th in the world in total sales volume. According to the latest publishing of the Automotive News 2008 Global Data Book, the automaker has impressively passed Honda to take 5th position. To climb six positions in just eight years isn't a simple accomplishment as it required stepping over such global automakers as Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda. Last year, Hyundai-Kia sold 3,961,629 automobiles worldwide (467,000 in the United States alone). While they still have a long way before they reach 4th position currently held by Ford (global sales of 5,964,000 in 2007), their move into other markets as witnessed by the luxurious 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the group's favorable June automotive sales (even in a depressed market) demonstrate the increasing strength of the Korean automaker.
[Source: AutoIndustry]

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[Sal Collaziano]

Hyundai/Kia has passed Honda?! That's incredibly BIG news...

 

[RichieRichLancair]

Who would have ever thought that Korea would become a manufacturing powerhouse.

 

[stimr2]

Who would have ever thought that Korea would become a manufacturing powerhouse.

Well it wasn't easy. South Korea owes its success to the late president Park Chung Hee. If it wasn't for him South Korea might still be war improvised country. He was the one who was able to convince the US and Japan to provide aid and investment in Korea. President Park was a strong supporter of US's involvement in Vietnam. He able to get aid from the US by providing troops during the Vietnam War. Over 300,000 South Koreans serviced in Vietnam. The US provided the wages for these soldiers, which in return brought back dollars to Korea. Here's a link going into more detail for South Korea's involvement in Vietnam http://www.talkingproud.us/International061406.html

Another source for much needed capital came from normalizing ties with Japan in return for compensation for Japan's cruel and brutal annexation of Korea. Sadly, that compensation never reached the victims directly. It was these two cash flows that helped jump start Korea's economy after the Korean War.

Sorry for the history lesson.

 

[Simonwpb]

Sorry for the history lesson.

Thanks Stimr. I for one am interested in how South Korea has come so far in such a short period of time. Koreans don't seem to have the word impossible in their dictionary

 

[GenesisBlog]

I revisit my earlier comment on this forum.

I believe Hyundai will do to Toyota and Honda, what Toyota and Honda did to the Big Three.

Taking Fords # 1 spot won't be impossible. Ford is like GM; going down in a ball of flames for poor customer support, arrogance and crappy products. I know, I currently own 2 and have had a lot more in the past.

Fords dominator F150 WILL be knocked off its pedestal soon here, with Toyota and Nissan trucks. Hyundai is smart to not go into those markets yet, but they will. Bet on it.

Should Hyundai's commercial trucks ever hit the US market hard in the F350-F650 and Bobtail lines, Ford is going to have a massive problem.

Not sure what to make of it, but one must take into account that Ford products include Volvo, and Jag, plus they are the primary make for rental car agencies, which is a huge boost of sales that really shouldn't be attributed to success. It's what we in the sales industry call a "spoon."