Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, saw its market share in Brazil's passenger car sector hit an all-time high in June thanks to brisk sales of its locally produced HB20 subcompact, industry data showed Thursday.

According to the data, Hyundai Motor sold 17,517 passenger cars in Brazil last month, raising its market share to 10 percent, its highest ever. It renewed its previous record share of 9.3 percent in May.

Hyundai Motor ranked fifth in market share there, narrowing the gap with fourth-ranked Ford to 0.8 percentage point from the previous month's 3.1 percentage points.

The locally produced HB20 subcompact is driving Hyundai Motor's sales in Brazil. The company sold 14,102 units of the HB20 last month, the largest among passenger vehicle models being sold in the South American country.

The HB20, first launched in Brazil in 2012, has been one of the best-sellers in the market. Its cumulative sales reached around 440,000 units as of June. Hyundai Motor expects the figure to exceed 500,000 units by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor sold a total of 97,216 passenger cars in Brazil during the first half, raising its market share to 9 percent, up from 7.6 percent tallied at the end of last year. (Yonhap)