SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co ( HYMTF ) reported on Thursday a 23% rise in second-quarter profit that beat analysts expectations, helped by favourable exchange rates and solid sales of high-margin sport utility vehicles and hybrid cars.

Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF ), which together with its affiliate Kia Corp ( KIMTF ) is the world's No.3 automaker by sales, reported a net profit of 4 trillion won ($2.89 billion) for the April-June period, up from 3.2 trillion won in profit a year earlier.

That compared with an average profit forecast of 3.4 trillion won from 21 analysts compiled by LSEG SmartEstimate, which is weighted towards estimates from analysts who are more consistently accurate.

Its vehicle sales in the U.S., Hyundai's biggest revenue-generating market, edged up 2.2% in the second quarter. High-margin SUV sales accounted for about 80% of the total while hybrid vehicle sales jumped 42% from the same period a year ago, Hyundai said.

Analysts also said the favourable exchange rate in the second quarter had helped Hyundai's profit growth.

The won slumped 4.3% against the dollar in the quarter from a year earlier, boosting Hyundai's repatriated overseas sales and profit.

($1 = 1,385.1200 won)