South Korea July 2022: Kia now #1 year-to-date, strong start for Ssangyong Torres

The Torres is already SSangyong’s best-seller at home.

New light vehicle sales in South Korea dip down -2.9% year-on-year in July to 143,557. This includes 122,134 local vehicles (-1.1%) and 21,423 foreigners (-12.2%). Year-to-date, the cume stands at 943,452 (-10.1%) including 791,020 locals (-9.9%) and 152,432 foreigners (-11.5%). Kia (+6.6%) ignores the negative market to clearly overtake Hyundai (-4.4%) for the fourth time this year. It is the end of an era as Kia is now #1 year-to-date with a slim margin of 857 sales. Genesis (-12%) drops much faster than the market but manages to keep its volume above the 10,000-unit mark. Ssangyong (+7.9%) produces the largest year-on-year gain in the Top 9 to surpass the 6,000 sales milestone for the first time in 8 months. BMW (-8.8%) passes Mercedes (-23%) to become the most popular foreign brand in the country at #5 overall. Renault Korea (-14.1%) and GM Korea (-15.7%) underperform as does Audi (-29.1%) but Volkswagen (+10.6%) closes out the Top 10 in very dynamic form.

Over in the local models ranking, the Hyundai Porter (+2.1%) returns to the pole position it holds year-to-date with over 2,000 sales more than any other nameplate in the market. This month the Kia Sorento (+9.5%) is the best-selling SUV overall at #2, distancing the Hyundai Casper at #8. The Hyundai Grandeur (+29.2%) snaps the largest year-on-year gain in the Top 10 but drops two spots month-on-month to #3. Outstanding performances below by the Kia Bongo (+24.1%) ensuring the Top 4 is entirely in positive, the Kia Seltos (+30.7%), Kia Ray (+24.1%) and Hyundai Sonata (+18.9%). Note 45% of Kia Sportage sold (#12) are hybrid. The Kia EV6 (#16) is up 11 ranks on last month to top the recent launch ladder above the Ssangyong Torres up 30 ranks to just above 2,750 sales in just two weeks of consumer sales. The Torres is already Ssangyong’s best-seller at home but it seems to have cannibalised other models in the brand’s stable such as the Tivoli (-68.6%) and Korando (-71%).

As for foreign models, the Mercedes E-Class (-34.8%) and S-Class (-36.1%) top the ranking again despite hefty year-on-year losses. The Ford Explorer is the hero in the Top 10 with sales up 481.2% year-on-year and up 32 spots on June to land at #3. The Mercedes GLC (+187.4%), BMW X3 (+147.3%) and further down the Mercedes GLB (+375.2%) and BMW X4 (+133.5%) also post spectacular gains. If the BMW X5 (+23.4%) is also in great shape, the Audi A6 (-50.1%) and BMW 3 Series (-27.9%) sink. Further down, the Polestar 2 rallies back up from outside the June Top 50 directly into 14th place with over 400 sales for the month and almost 1,350 so far. The VW Arteon (#18), Audi A3 (#23), Porsche Cayenne (#25), BMW iX3 (#28), Mercedes EQS (#37), Mercedes AMG GT (#40) and Mini Electric (#41) also reappear in the Top 50.

Previous month: South Korea June 2022: Samsung QM6 up to #10, Ssangyong Torres arrives, market off -10.6%

Previous year: South Korea July 2021: Kia topples Hyundai for the first time in market down -8.5%

Full July 2022 Top 30 all brands, Top 55 all local models and Top 50 foreign models below.