Hyundai aims to race ahead of the pack

Seoul - South Korea's biggest automaker Hyundai Motor said on Monday it would seek to have another record year in 2011, bolstered by a 24% increase in sales last year.

Chairperson Chung Mong-Koo said in a New Year statement that Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors saw their combined sales rise 24% from a year earlier to 5.75 million units in 2010.

He said his group would try to produce and sell a record 6.33 million units this year.

"With the invincible spirit and belief that we can do it, we will achieve the goal of producing 6.33 million units without problems," he said, promising strong competitiveness in technology and price.

Hyundai Motor and Kia together form the world's fifth-largest car making group by sales, with an increasing presence in world's major vehicle markets including the United States and Russia.