HONG KONG (Yonhap News) ― Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. said Tuesday sales of its YF Sonata sedan are growing steadily in China, boosted by rising demand for mid-size cars in the world’s No. 2 economy.

Hyundai Motor said 8,006 units of the YF Sonata were sold in China last month, becoming China’s sixth-most-sold intermediate sedan.

A total of 72,065 units of the YF Sonata were sold in China last year, topping the 70,000-mark in eight months of its April release.

It was comparable to the NF Sonata, which saw sales of 11,741 during the 12 months of 2011.

According to Hyundai officials, the YF Sonata is competing closely with other popular mid-sized cars, such as Volkswagen Corp.’s Passat and Toyota Corp.’s Camry.

Kia Motors Corp., Hyundai Motor’s smaller affiliate, also saw the sales of its K5 mid-sized car reach 3,601 in January, ranking as the 14th-most-sold sedan, up two notches from a year earlier.

In January, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors sold a combined 97,994 units in China, claiming 10.4 percent of the Chinese auto market.