Hyundai i40 targets company car market

GENEVA, Mar 1 (BBC): Flanked by scantily clad girls on the stand at the Geneva motor show, the Hyundai i40's venture into a world dominated by experienced professionals might come across as naive. After all, there are no such frills on the stands of chief competitors such as Ford, Opel - Vauxhall in the UK - or Volkswagen, whose motorway warriors have held a tight grip on the fleet market for decades. "The fleet market is crowded by a lot of successful cars such as the Mondeo, Insignia or Passat," grins Hyundai's European chief operating officer Allan Rushforth, the bit between his teeth. Mr Rushforth's determination puts a lie to the light-weight performance on stage. For behind the Korean carmaker's tottering high-heeled approach, there's a perfectly grown-up strategy that has caught the eye of, even spooked, established rivals. Last year, car sales in the European Union fell 5.5 per cent. Hyundai, meanwhile saw sales rise 4.4 per cent, with its Korean alliance partner Kia gaining similarly with a 3.9 per cent rise in market share. Hence in Europe, Hyundai and its Korean alliance partner Kia have between them already overtaken Toyota - even without a car that appeals to company car drivers.