SEOUL, Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Tuesday their vehicle sales in Europe rose 1.2 percent last month from a year earlier, helped by demand for their SUV models.

Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 86,525 vehicles in Europe in January, up from 85,466 units a year ago, the companies said, citing data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

They accounted for 8.5 percent of the European passenger vehicle market last month, down from 9.4 percent a year ago.

The corporate duo ranked fourth after Volkswagen Group with a share of 25.4 percent, Stellantis’ 18 percent, and Renault Group’s 9.2 percent, according to the data.

The best-selling models include Hyundai’s gasoline-powered Tucson and Kona SUVs, and their gasoline hybrid versions. Kia’s models were not immediately available.

In February, overall vehicle sales in Europe rose 11.5 percent to 1,015,381 units from 911,036 the previous year.

Source: Yonhap News Agency