South Korea 1st Half 2015: Hyundai Porter takes control

August 12, 2015
Matt Gasnier

The Hyundai Tucson is back inside the Top 10 at home.

* UPDATE TWO with Full H1 2014 figures for Top 150 foreigners and Top 30 brands *

* UPDATE ONE with the Top 54 locals, Top 150 foreigners and Top 30 brands *

Sales of new local vehicles in South Korea are up a very dynamic 7% year-on-year over the First Half of 2015 to 850.946 units, lifted by foreign manufacturers up 32% to a record 14.1% share. Hyundai (39.5%) and Kia (28.5%) are masters in command well ahead of GM Korea at 8.4%, with Ssangyong now frankly above Renault Samsung at 5.3% vs. 4.4% share thanks to the arrival of the Tivoli. Earthquake atop the models ranking: a commercial vehicle is the best-seller in the country so far this year. The Hyundai Porter takes control thanks despite seeing its market share slip slightly to 7% due to sales up ‘just’ 3% to 51.640 units. The Porter takes advantage of the next four best-selling models all losing steam: the Hyundai Sonata (-8%), Kia Morning (-9%), Hyundai Grandeur (-6%) and Avante (-2%) all see their market shares drop significantly.

The Hyundai Porter is the best-selling vehicle in South Korea so far this year.

The three largest year-on-year improvements are delivered by three nameplates ranking in the 2nd half of the Top 10, all enjoying the benefits of a new generation. The Kia Sorento is up 4-fold and 16 spots to 6th place with just under 39.000 sales, the Kia Carnival is up 3-fold and 10 ranks to #8 and 32.600 units and the Hyundai Tucson is up 39% to resume its presence among the country’s Top 10 best-sellers. Ssangyong has hit the jackpot at home with the Tivoli, landing directly at #16 with 18.524 deliveries and 2.5% share, instantly becoming the brand’s best-seller.

Ssangyong Tivoli

Foreign manufacturers are handled by a different organisation in South Korea are reported on with a one month-delay, the reason behind the publication of this post in two dates. Sales of foreign cars in South Korea mports are up a whopping 32% on 2014 to 119.920 registrations, beating their monthly record once again in June at 24.331 units. German marques account for a whopping two-thirds of all foreign sales in South Korea so far in 2015, with BMW (+41%), Mercedes (+38%), Volkswagen (+21%) and Audi (+8%) leading the way followed by Ford (+52%), Toyota (+26%), Lexus (+25%), Mini (+44%), Land Rover (+77%) and Peugeot (+120%).

The Mercedes E-Class remains the best-selling foreign model in South Korea.

Like in 2014, The Mercedes E-Class is the most popular foreigner in South Korea despite sales slipping down 2% under 9.000 units, ahead of the BMW 5 Series at 7.700 (+17%) while the Mercedes S-Class spectacularly jumps 4-fold to third overall with just above 6.000 sales thanks to the new generation. The Audi A6 (-1%), BMW 3 Series (+21%) and VW Golf (+63%) follow, all outselling the “import-killer” launched by Hyundai almost a year ago: the Aslan vegetating at just 5.230 sales so far this year. The Lexus ES (#11) is the best-selling Japanese in South Korea, the Peugeot 2008 (#17) is the most popular all-new nameplate and the best-selling French and the Fiat 500 (#80) the most popular Italian. Finally, notice also the Nissan Qashqai (#24), BMW X4 (#42) and Jeep Cherokee (#44) landing directly inside the Top 50.

The Hyundai Aslan hasn’t stemmed the growing flow of premium imports hitting SK.