Thanks to robust global sales, Hyundai posts record profits in Q2. The Korean car maker acquires 5 percent of the global car market for the first time ever!

While the global auto industry is moaning in the worst slump in decades, Hyundai posts a record quarterly profit in the three months ending in June. The Korean largest carmaker revealed its net earnings jumped to $650 million in the second quarter of this year (+48 percent). Profit jumped to record high thanks to increased global demand for smaller and more fuel efficient cars, weaker won and improving brand image.

In the first six months of 2009, Hyundai managed to sell 1,403,931 new cars and SUVs across the globe, representing a five percent decrease from a year earlier as demand for automobiles in the global market fell. Hyundai built 719,478 units at its domestic manufacturing plants, while overseas plants churn out 684,453 new Hyundai cars.

In its official statement, Hyundai also revealed it has acquired 5 percent of the global new car market share in the first half of this year for the first time ever. This result was achieved by expanded market share China, Europe and US as the automaker boosted efforts to raise its brand image and continued to expand marketing activities in local markets.

Hyundai has been particularly successful in China, where it has sold 257,000 units in the first half. For the 2009, Hyundai raised its overall sales target to 450,000 units from previous 400,000 units. The automaker continues to expand its new car line-up and will start selling locally produced Sonata sedans and i30 C-segment hatchbacks in July and September.

Lately, Hyundai has been very successful in Europe. Its sales in June rose by the largest margin among all carmakers operating in the region. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Hyundai‘s June sales rose 27.1 percent from the same month last year to come in at about 35,000 units, while sales in the first half of the fiscal year increased 15.7 percent compared to the same period last year, pushing up the company’s first-half share of the European market to 2.3 percent from the 1.8 percent recorded last year.

Hyundai plans to make profits continuously in the second half of the 2009 by introducing several new models, including the 2010 Sonata sedan and Tucson crossover, both scheduled to be officially unveiled in this coming Fall.