Despite being the year-end off-season for used cars, diesel SUVs remain popular in the used-car market. According to Encar's November price trends, prices for domestic used diesel SUVs such as the value-for-money family cars Sportage and Palisade are on the rise.
Encar (CEO Kim Sang-beom), South Korea's largest car transaction platform, released used-car prices for November 2025. Based on Encar big data, it analyzed the 2022-model popular used-car prices for domestic finished car brands including Hyundai Motor, Kia, Renault Korea Motors, and KG Mobility, as well as imported brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. The mileage criterion was 60,000 km and the analysis targeted accident-free vehicles.
November is the period when the used-car market's off-season begins as year-end promotions and model-year change model launches approach, and November prices for domestic and imported cars were on average down 0.17%, a slight decline.
However, most major domestic models showed slight increases this month, and overall domestic car prices rose by an average of 0.56%. In particular, diesel SUV models, which feature strong power, low maintenance expense, and practicality as family cars, showed steady demand and notable price increases among major domestic diesel SUVs. With fewer diesel model releases in the new-car market, demand stood out in the used-car market where choices are relatively more varied.
Kia Sportage fifth generation 2.0 2WD Noblesse rose 3.01% from the previous month, marking a third consecutive month of price increases and the largest gain among representative domestic models in November. Hyundai The New Palisade 2.2 2WD Calligraphy and Hyundai The New Santa Fe 2.2 2WD Prestige rose 1.56% and 0.34%, respectively, continuing two months of consecutive increases. In addition, the MPV model Carnival fourth generation 9-seat Prestige also showed a slight price increase of 0.19% from the previous month.
Following last month, small cars and compact SUV models, which have steady demand for practicality and value for money, also tended to see price increases. Chevrolet The New Spark Premier rose 1.05%, Hyundai Casper Inspiration rose 0.42%, and Kia The New Ray Signature rose 0.23% from the previous month.
Imported cars fell by an average of 1.21% from the previous month, showing an overall downward trend except for some models.
Volvo XC90 second generation B6 Inscription fell 4.82%, showing the largest decline among imported cars in November. Audi sedans A4 (B9) 40 TFSI Premium and A6 (C8) 45 TFSI Premium saw prices fall 3.56% and 2.01%, respectively.
Popular imported models such as Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series also showed price declines of more than 1%. Mercedes-Benz E-Class W213 E250 Avantgarde fell 1.46%, and BMW 5 Series (G30) 520i M Sport and X5 (G05) xDrive 30d xLine fell 1.86% and 1.80%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz C-Class W205 C200 AMG Line rose 6.14% from the previous month, continuing its upward trend from last month. Volvo XC60 second generation B6 Inscription and Lexus ES300h seventh-generation Executive rose 1.02% and 0.27%, respectively.
An Encar representative said, "November is the period when the used-car off-season begins, but overlapping with the earlier autumn peak season, prices for practical domestic diesel SUVs and small cars and compact SUVs tended to rise," and added, "If you are considering buying a used car within the year, it may be an option to consider imported cars such as the XC90 and Mini Cooper that have been showing price declines."
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