South Korea September 2021: Sales down -30%, Hyundai Avante best-seller, Hyundai Casper lands

The Hyundai Casper has landed in the South Korean charts.

The South Korean new car market drops -30% year-on-year in September to 112.196 units, including 91.790 (-33.7%) for domestic brands and 20.406 (-6.6%) for foreign carmakers. The year-to-date tally is now off -6.5% to 1.290.321, with local carmakers off -9.4% to 1.075.653 but foreigners up 12% to 214.668. Our 2021 Forecast for South Korea is now down to 1.76m units (-8%). Hyundai (-36.2%) keeps the lead of the brands ranking with only 423 sales more than sister brand Kia (-30.1%) resisting better. Genesis (-25.8%) remains in third place but scores a weak 6.8% share vs. 7.8% so far this year. Mercedes (+4.8%) lodges the only year-on-year gain in the Top 8 and stays in 4th place overall ahead of BMW (-6.3%) while Renault Samsung (-25.8%) climbs two spots on August to #6, distancing GM Korea (-36.5%) and Ssangyong (-51.9%) both in difficulty. In order of sales, Volvo (+57.2%), Chevrolet (+84.8%), Honda (+110.2%), Porsche (+4%), Citroen (+165.6%), Bentley (+441.7%) and Rolls Royce (+100%) all defy the negative market with year-on-year upticks.

In the domestic models ranking, the Hyundai Avante (-42.9%) scores its first overall win since October 2016 despite losing significantly more ground than the market. In a 100% Hyundai podium, it distances the Sonata (+9%) back onto the South Korean podium for the first time since February 2020, and the Porter (-45.3%) remaining the year-to-date leader by some margin. The Kia Sportage (+247.3%) continues to be lifted by the new generation but drops two ranks on August to #4. The Genesis G80 (-35.6%) cracks the Top 5 for the second time ever after May 2020. All remaining Top 10 members fall faster than the market, with the 2020 leader, the Hyundai Grandeur, imploding -72.3% due to production disruptions linked to the microchip crisis. Among recent launches, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (#13) and Staria (#14) exchange positions vs. last month, the Kia EV6 is up six ranks to #16, the Genesis GV70 is down five to #24 and we welcome the Hyundai Casper compact SUV at #42 with 208 sales.

Over in the foreigners ranking, the Mercedes E-Class (-26%) holds onto the top spot ahead of the Tesla Model Y while the Mercedes GLC (+3845.7%) shoots up 21 spots on August to land on the third step of the podium, knocking the BMW 5 Series (-31.7%) down to #4. The BMW X3 (+22.7%) is up 7 ranks to #5, dislodging the Tesla Model 3 (-66.6%), with the BMW X4 (+73.9%) and Mercedes GLE (+6.3%) also in good shape. 

Previous month: South Korea August 2021: Kia Sportage up to #2, Kia EV6 lands in market off -2.7%

One year ago: South Korea September 2021: Kia Carnival hits volume record in surging market (+20.8%)

Full September 2021 Top 30 All-brands and Top 55 domestic models below.