While Hyundai Motor Group's domestic and overseas sales slowed in January, mid-sized players including GM Korea posted growth of more than 30% on the back of robust exports.
On the 2nd, according to Hyundai Motor and Kia, the two companies' total sales in January, combining domestic and overseas, came to 553,256 units (including 285 special-purpose vehicles from Kia). That was down 1.4% from a year earlier. Domestic sales increased 10.5% from 84,457 to 93,315 units, but overseas sales fell 1.4% from 466,208 to 459,656, pulling down the overall total.
Looking only at Hyundai Motor, it sold 302,699 units in total, with 50,208 domestically and 257,491 overseas. Domestic sales rose 9.0%, but overseas sales fell 2.8%, resulting in a 1.0% decline in total sales. The best-selling model in Korea was the compact sedan "Avante," with 5,244 units sold. Among sport utility vehicles (SUVs), "Palisade" sold the most at 4,994 units, and premium brand Genesis sold a total of 8,671 units.
Kia sold a total of 245,557 units in January, up 2.4% from a year earlier. Domestic sales increased 12.2% to 43,107 units, but overseas sales rose only 0.4% to 202,165 units. The top seller in the global market was the compact SUV "Sportage" (47,788 units). The best-selling model in Korea was the midsize SUV "Sorento" (8,388 units).
The three mid-sized companies—GM Korea, KG Mobility (KGM), and Renault Korea—sold a total of 57,016 units in January, up 31.3% from a year earlier. Domestic sales edged up slightly from 6,130 to 6,190 units, but overseas sales jumped 36.7% from 37,375 to 51,081 units, driving the overall increase.
GM Korea's growth stood out in particular. GM Korea's domestic sales in January plunged 37.8% year over year to 765 units, but overseas sales surged 44.6% from 30,389 to 43,938 units, lifting total sales 41.4% to 44,703 units.
The star models were Chevrolet's small SUVs "Trax Crossover" and "Trailblazer." Gaining strong popularity in North America, they sold 26,860 and 17,078 units, respectively, up 28.7% and 79.4% from a year earlier. The Trax Crossover also ranked No. 1 in Korea's passenger car exports last year.
KGM's total sales in January were 8,581 units (excluding semi-knockdown products), up 7.5% from the same period a year earlier. Overseas sales fell 2.1% to 5,650 units, while domestic sales rose 38.5% to 3,186 units, driving overall growth. KGM said the boost came from the new pickup "Musso," launched on Jan. 5, which sold 1,123 units last month.
Renault Korea saw overseas sales in January rise 22.8% year over year to 1,493 units, but domestic sales fell 13.9% from 2,501 to 2,239 units, trimming total sales (3,732 units) by 2.2%. The midsize SUV "Grand Koleos" sold 1,663 units in Korea and 977 units overseas.