South Korea October 2015: New Kia Sportage in Top 5

Kia Sportage

* See the Top 54 All-local models, Top 140 foreigners & Top 30 brands by clicking on the title *

Strong performance of the Korean new car market in October at +19% to 163.529 registrations, lifting the year-to-date total to 1.457.701 units. For once, the year-on-year gains are triggered by local manufacturers up 20% to 146.106 deliveries vs. +6.5% and 17.423 for foreign nameplates. Hyundai is up 17% to 41.5% share, Kia up 26% to 28.5% and Ssangyong takes off by 83% to cross the 10.000 monthly sales for the first time since BSCB is following South Korea monthly, solely due to the ever-growing success of the Tivoli, up to a record 5.237 units this month. Audi (+28%), Lexus (+34%), Porsche (+47%), Land Rover (+62%), Toyota (+69%) and Jaguar (+103%) sales put a small on their manager’s face, but none as much as Peugeot…

Peugeot 2008. Picture autodiary.kr

The French manufacturer is up 4-fold (+332%) to #9 brand overall with 1.071 sales, all thanks to an enthusiastic response to the new 2008 accounting for two-thirds of the carmaker’s sales in South Korea and #5 foreign nameplate overall in October. Peugeot even overtakes Volkswagen in freefall at -46% to #10. South Korea is the 2nd country in the world after Japan where Volkswagen sales have very significantly suffered since the emission scandal broke.

Jaguar XE. Picture autocar.co.uk

In the local models ranking, the Hyundai Avante holds onto the pole position for the third month running thanks to sales up a whopping 46% year-on-year to 12.838, just as the Hyundai Sonata cements its 2015 leadership with deliveries up 30% on a year ago to 10.487. In fact Hyundai monopolises the Top 4 with the Porter up three spots on September to #3 and the Santa Fe up 44% year-on-year to #4. In 5th place, the new generation boosts the Kia Sportage up 158% to 7.586 sales with its year-to-date total now down only 11% on 2014. The Mercedes E-Class remains the best-selling foreign nameplate but this month it is the only one to sell over 1.000 or 1.500 units at 1.561, distancing the BMW 5 Series (988), Mercedes C-Class (909) and Audi A6 (839). The Jaguar XE jumps 9 spots to #22 and the Jeep Renegade is up 16 to #25.

Previous month: South Korea September 2015: Hyundai Avante stays ahead

One year ago (1): South Korea October 2014: Hyundai Aslan starts

One year ago (2): South Korea October 2014: Now with Top 186 All-models

Full October 2015 Top 54 All-local models, Top 140 foreigners & Top 30 brands below.