Last month, the total sales volume of five domestic automobile companies increased compared to the same month last year. Unlike last year, this year's Lunar New Year holiday is in January, which is interpreted as a reason for the increase in working days.
On the 4th, according to the completed car industry, the combined sales volume of five domestic automakers, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, GM Korea, Renault Korea, and KG Mobility, was recorded at 630,399 units last month. This is a 4.1% increase compared to 605,469 units sold in the same period last year.
Hyundai Motor sold 322,339 units, a 2.1% increase compared to the same month last year. Domestic sales increased by 20.1% to 57,216 units, while overseas sales recorded a 1.1% decrease to 265,123 units.
In the domestic market, sedans sold a total of 16,708 units, including 5,481 units of the Grandeur, 4,585 units of the Sonata, and 6,296 units of the Avante. Recreational vehicles (RVs) sold a total of 19,769 units, including 5,076 units of the Santa Fe, 4,735 units of the Tuscon, 2,234 units of the Kona, and 1,293 units of the Casper. Commercial vehicles sold 5,169 units of the Porter, 3,005 units of the Staria, and 2,141 units of mid-large buses and trucks, respectively. The luxury brand Genesis sold a total of 10,223 units, including 4,026 units of the G80, 2,642 units of the GV80, and 2,749 units of the GV70.
Kia's total global sales volume was recorded at 253,850 units, a 4.5% increase compared to the same period last year. By model, the Sportage ranked first in sales with 46,287 units sold, while the Sorento followed with 24,173 units, and the Seltos with 24,040 units.
In the domestic market, it sold 46,003 units, an increase of 4.5% compared to the same month last year. The most sold model in the domestic market was the Sorento, which recorded 9,067 units. Passenger models sold a total of 11,076 units, including 4,287 units of the RAY, 2,503 units of the K5, and 2,457 units of the K8. For RVs, a total of 32,432 units were sold, including the Sorento, 7,734 units of the Carnival, 6,568 units of the Sportage, and 4,764 units of the Seltos. The commercial vehicle sales volume was 3,395 units.
Overseas sales recorded 207,462 units, a 4.4% increase compared to the same period last year. The Sportage ranked as the most sold model overseas with 39,719 units, followed by the Seltos with 19,276 units, and the K3 (including K4) with 16,549 units.
A Kia official noted, "The new models launched in the second half of last year, such as the K4 and the Shiros, have led the sales in overseas markets like the United States and India, resulting in strong global sales. We aim to continue this trend with future new models like the EV4 and Tasmann."
GM Korea sold a total of 39,655 units last month, which is a 29.5% increase compared to the same month last year when combining domestic and export sales. Domestic sales were 1,482 units, down 25.4%, but exports surged by 33.3% to 38,173 units.
Renault Korea recorded a total of 6,099 units sold last month, a decrease of 11.3% compared to the same month last year. Domestic sales improved significantly, driven by the mid-size sports utility vehicle (SUV) Grand Koleos launched in the second half of last year, reaching 4,881 units, up 170.1%, while exports fell to 1,218 units, down 76%.
In response, a Renault Korea official explained, "After reinforcing the equipment at the Busan factory, we focused on the production volume of the Grand Koleos sold domestically in February, which caused the decrease in exports."
KG Mobility sold 8,456 units, a decrease of 10.5% compared to the same month last year. While exports increased by 1.3% to 5,780 units, domestic sales dropped by 28.6% to 2,676 units.