South Korea Full Year 2020: Market up 5.8%, Genesis up to #3 brand, Hyundai Grandeur best-seller

Genesis sales are up 90.5% year-on-year to cross the 100.000 annual mark for the first time.

Discover over 30 years of South Korean Historical Data here.

South Korea is one of only a handful of markets in the world to gain ground year-on-year in 2020 despite the coronavirus crisis. Sales are up 5.8% to 1.874.630 including 1.597.655 local brands (+4.6%) and 274.859 foreigners (+12.3%). Hyundai (-1.1%) can’t quite catch up with its home market and sees its share thaw from 38.3% to a still very dominant 35.8%. Sister brand Kia (+6.3%) marches the market evolution and advances slightly from 29.3% to 29.5% share. But the main event is below: 2020 will be remembered as the year Genesis (+90.5%) took off at home. Thanks to a new generation G80 and a new SUV, the GV80, Hyundai’s luxury brand climbs 4 spots on 2019 to land on the third step of the 2020 podium, crossing the 100.000 annual sales mark at home for the first time and holding a strong 5.8% share. It peaked at 7.7% in May and 7.4% in December. Renault Samsung (+10.5%) and GM Korea (+8.5%) also outpace their home market but Ssangyong (-18.7%) struggles. Mercedes (-1.6%) remains the most popular foreign carmaker, distancing BMW (+32.1%), Audi (+113.9%) and Volkswagen (+107%) all posing fantastic gains.

The Hyundai Grandeur is #1 at home for the 4th consecutive year.

Over in the local models ranking, the Hyundai Grandeur is boosted up +40.7% by a new generation to over 145.000 sales, the largest annual volume for any nameplate since the 152.023 units of the Hyundai Sonata in 2010 which remains an all-time record. The Hyundai Porter (-3.4%) takes advantage of the freefalling of the Hyundai Sonata (-32.6%) from #2 to #6 to advance to 2nd place overall. New generations push the Hyundai Avante (+41.3%) up 3 spots to #3, the Kia K5 (+113.1%) up 13 to #4 and the Kia Sorento (+57.2%) up 4 to #5. The Hyundai Palisade (+23.9%), Kia Bongo (+4.9%) and Carnival (+0.8%) are also up in the remainder of the Top 10, with the Carnival ranking #1 overall for the first time in October thanks to a new model. The renewed Genesis G80 (+152%) surges 14 spots on 2019 to end the year just outside the Top 10 at #11, while the Genesis GV80 is officially the best-selling 2020 launch, landing directly at #18 with over 34.000 sales, just above the Samsung XM3 (#19).

Looking at foreign models, the Mercedes E-Class (-15.4%) and BMW 5 Series (+7.9%) continue to dominate easily, and we have a newcomer on the podium: the VW Tiguan (+368%) leaps up 14 spots on 2019 to land at #3. The Audi A6 (+119.9%) and BMW 3 Series (+26.8%) follow with more great gains to round out the Top 5 while the Mercedes A-Class (+1045.9%) and Ford Explorer (+26.2%) break into the Top 10. Notice also the Chevrolet Colorado at #14, the Chevrolet Traverse at #15 and the Porsche Cayenne at #16.

Previous month: South Korea November 2020: Hyundai Tucson up to #4 in improving market (+7.3%)

Previous year: South Korea 2019: Hyundai Grandeur snaps third win at last minute, market down -1.9%

Two years ago: South Korea 2018: Hyundai Grandeur resists Santa Fe assault, Genesis at 3.4% share

Full December 2020 Top 30 All-brands, Top 58 All local models and Top 50 foreign models below.

Full Year 2020 Top 30 All-brands, Top 68 All local models and Top 40 foreign models vs. Full Year 2019 figures below.