Hyundai Car UK is celebrating its best sales year, with 37,611 sales (16% up on 2003) and a 1.47% market share in 2004.

Top performer was the Getz with 15,797 registrations, the highest number of any one model Hyundai UK has ever sold in a year (the previous record holder was the Accent with 15,729 sales in 1997).

For the first time Hyundai has sold more than 7,000 4x4s, helped by the new Tucson which went on sale in August. The Tucson, Santa Fe and Terracan models combined, achieved 7,649 sales.

The Coupe sold 4,778 units; the Santa Fe 4,338 and the Matrix 3,967.

David Walker, Hyundai managing director, says: "Our plans for 2005 are ambitious in what we expect to be a flat market year-on-year, but we have put in place the groundwork to achieve it. “ The company is setting a 40,000 sales target for 2005.