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- Global sales down 0.4% Y-o-Y to 250,441 units

- Korea domestic sales rise 15.4%, overseas sales fall 4.8%

(Seoul, Korea)  Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, posted a 0.4 percent fall in May global sales, slightly changed from a year earlier.

Domestic sales rose 15.4 percent to 63,718 units in May from 55,202 units a year earlier. Korea domestic sales went up for the first time since last May as the local government offered tax benefits to those who exchange their vehicles older than 10 years for new ones since May 1, as part of efforts to support the struggling auto industry.

However, total overseas sales, including both exports from Korea and sales from overseas plants, fell 4.8 percent to 186,723 units in May, down from 196,138 units a year earlier.

Exports from Korea fell 34.7 percent to 63,523 units for the month compared to a year earlier, while sales from overseas plants rose 24.7 percent to 123,200 units. The rise in overseas plant sales can be attributed to the healthy demand in emerging markets such as China and India.

The outlook for demand in export markets still looks grim this year. Hyundai Motor will continue to respond more flexibly to rapidly-changing market conditions by increasing supplies of small passenger cars and expanding marketing activities strategically designed for local markets.

May 2009 Results