Hyundai Motor’s upper-segment car sales in Europe surpassed a milestone 10 percent of the carmaker’s total sales for the first time, largely driven by the i40 wagon.

The Korean auto giant said Monday that it sold 247,151 passenger vehicles in the first 10 months of this year in Europe alone.

Of them, larger models with an engine capacity of 1,600 cc or higher made up 11.8 percent of Europe sales, more than doubling last year’s 4.4 percent, the company said.

The i40, whose engine capacity ranges between 1,685 cc and 1,999 cc, was the key driving force that sold 28,489 units as of October this year.

After the successful launch of the i30 compact hatchback, Hyundai introduced the bigger, sister model i40 both in wagon and sedan types specially designed for the European market.

Hyundai said increased car sales in the upper segment reflect consumers’ renewed awareness about its brand.

“Hyundai and other Korean auto companies have marketed mostly smaller cars in overseas markets. The sales figure of the i40 is especially meaningful considering European drivers prefer compact models,” said a Hyundai spokesperson.

However, Hyundai’s upper-segment car sales slightly decreased in other major markets this year as the carmaker’s new launches focused more on smaller models, the company said.

Of the 359,000 cars sold this year in Korea, upper-segment models, including Sonata and Grandeur sedans, made up 58.7 percent, down from last year’s 59.6 percent.

In the United States and China, upper-segment cars accounted for 48 percent and 16.7 percent of Korean cars sold in the first 10 months of this year, up 3.4 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, from a year ago.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)