SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor Group set its 2013 sales target at 7.41 million vehicles to strengthen its status as one of leading global automakers, head of the group said Wednesday.

"Hyundai and Kia strengthened its status as a global maker by selling a total of 7.12 million vehicles last year, up around 8 percent from the previous year. We target 7.41 million car sales this year (to further strengthen the status)," Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo said in his New Year message.

Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors completed their third Chinese plant and the Brazil plant last year to have a total of 30 factories in 9 countries. They planned to expand the Turkish plant in 2013 and build another China factory in 2014.

Chung cautioned that business conditions at home and abroad will be worse in 2013 due to the European fiscal crisis and the global economic slump that lasted over the past years, but the chairman noted that the group can overcome the difficulties through product quality improvement next year.

The chairman promised to increase investment into environmentally-friendly cars and electronic control system, saying that the group will make efforts to gain sustainable competitiveness by fostering outstanding work force.