South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. dominated Russia's passenger car market last month, outdoing Russian automaker AvtoVaz, industry data showed Friday.

According to data provided by Korea Automotive Research Institute (KARI), the two South Korean carmakers took up 16.9 percent of the Russian market share in June, outselling AvtoVaz accounting for 15.1 percent for the first time.

Hyundai and Kia sold 16,754 units and 17,023 units, respectively, so that the total of the two firms' car sales reached 33,777 vehicles. AvtoVaz sold 30,114 vehicles.

The South Korean carmakers have been making steady headway in Russia and reducing the gap with AvtoVaz, the country's market leader.

In particular, the opening of the St. Petersburg plant in 2011 has boosted market presence and permitted the building of a Russia-specific cars like the Hyundai Solaris sub-compact, which was one of the best-selling foreign brand cars in Russia last year.

Sales of the Solaris and Rio, a Kia subcompact, played a key role in bolstering sales. Solaris sales hit 10,565, while 8,696 Rios were sold, making up 57 percent of all Hyundai and Kia cars sold in Russia last month.

French carmaker Renault sold 16,479 units, placing third place, with Toyota coming in fourth at 13,139.

KARI said Russian auto sales figures took a beating as consumer sentiment nosedived in the face of economic troubles and tensions surrounding the developments in Ukraine.

Sales of cars made by AvtoVaz dropped 19 percent on-year, while numbers for Renault and Toyota fell 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Hyundai and Kia sales were down just 2 percent. (Yonhap)