This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows the Genesis G80 sedan. (Hyundai Motor Group)

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group said Monday it ranked third in first-half global vehicle sales on increased high-end model sales despite the lack of automotive chips.

Hyundai Motor Co., its independent Genesis brand and Hyundai's smaller affiliate Kia Corp. sold a total of 3.299 million vehicles in global markets in the January-June period, following Toyota Motor Group's 5.138 million units and Volkswagen Group's 4.006 million units, according to their sales data.

In the first six months, increased sales of Genesis models, the all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the pure electric Kia EV6 pushed up the Korean carmaker's sales ranking.

The group's ranking jumped from fifth with sales of 3.475 million autos in the first half of 2021.

The Korean automaker's first-half sales fell 5.1 percent from a year earlier, faring better than its global competitors. Toyota Group's sales declined 6 percent, Volkswagen Group's dropped 14 percent, Stellantis' shed 16 percent, and General Motors Co. plunged 19 percent.

Stellantis is a 50:50 joint venture set up through the merger of US carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. and French automaker PSA Groupe. (Yonhap)