Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the nation’s biggest automaker, introduced two Chinese local editions of its latest models at the 2008 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Sunday, in a move to tap into the market with the most potential.

Hyundai Motor launched its luxury sedan, Genesis, on the kick-off day of the motor show at the China International Exhibition Center. It will be launched in China as the “Rohens.”

“All (of Hyundai Motors’ philosophy) is integrated into the Rohens. I am sure this vehicle will become a representative sedan in the Chinese market,” Eom Gwang-heum, managing director of Hyundai Motor, said.

Hyundai launched the sedan earlier this year in a move toward the high-end market segment to take on leading marquees like BMW and Lexus.

A total of 16 Hyundai vehicles will be on display at the Beijing motor show, including Rohens, as well as a concept coupe model of Genesis and Yuedong, a local model of the maker’s steady seller compact car Avante.

The motor company’s other division, Kia Motor, also presented its large-scale SUV Mojave, renamed “Barui” locally, at the show.

Kia is expecting the launch of Barui, which means “the best sharpness” in Chinese, to facilitate the company’s sales there in its trademark SUV lineup, including Sorrento and Sportage. The flagship sports vehicle will be on sale in China from July.

“Mojave (Barui) is our best-ever recreational vehicle model, full of style and high-end technology. We hope the model will attract lots of Chinese drivers pursuing active and vigorous lifestyles,” Kia Motors said.

At Beijing, Kia is presenting 13 vehicles, including KOUP, a coupe concept car that was first introduced at the New York Motor Show earlier this year.

Hyundai-Kia is set to make the exhibition a stepping stone for the brand to be better recognized in China amid recent efforts for the market.

Hyundai Motor started production at its second manufacturing plant in Beijing this month, doubling the company’s production capacity to 600,000.

Kia is also putting more weight on China, and broke ground for a second plant in Jiangxu Province last year. It aims to sell 200,000 vehicles this year and 440,000 in 2010, when the new plant is completed.

Hyundai, which advanced into China in 2002, five years later than Kia, has sold 958,000 cars so far. Sales of Kia vehicles are at about 470,000.

The Chinese car market is expanding ferociously _ now second in sales and third in production.

The automobile frenzy is being fueled by the country’s skyrocketing economic growth. The new middle class spawned a social tendency to stress consumption as well as quality of life.

Vehicle sales in China are expected to exceed 6 million units this year and 10 million in 2013, with demand increasing as well for full-scale cars. Last year, the luxury sedan market grew to 200,000 units, up over 34 percent year-on-year, and 357,000 for SUVs, which soared nearly 50 percent.