The best-selling vehicle in the first quarter was Kia’s Sorento mid-size SUV. (Image courtesy of Kia)
SEOUL, Apr. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – In the first quarter (January-March) of the South Korean automobile market, SUVs and vans, collectively known as RVs (recreational vehicles) locally, captured the top four spots in sales rankings.
Hyundai’s Grandeur, which had consistently held a place in the top five, fell to sixth position, leaving no sedans among the top five best-selling models. As the domestic market continues to struggle, consumers are gravitating towards larger and more active vehicle types.
According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), the best-selling vehicle in the first quarter was Kia’s Sorento mid-size SUV, with 26,929 units sold.
Following closely were Hyundai’s mid-size SUV, the Santa Fe (23,313 units), Kia’s Carnival minivan (22,681 units), and Kia’s Sportage compact SUV (19,661 units).
All of these models offer hybrid variants. With the approach of warmer weather conducive to outdoor activities, consumers appear to be favoring vehicles with spacious interiors and versatility.
Hyundai’s Porter truck took the fifth spot with 19,314 units sold.
Auto-camping is one of the leading factors of heightening demand for SUVs and mini-vans. (Image courtesy of Haevichi Hotel & Resort)
It is unusual for no sedan models to be included among the top five best-selling vehicles in the domestic market. The decline in sales of the Grandeur, which has traditionally been a fixture in the top five, played a significant role.
In the first quarter, Hyundai sold 13,698 units of the Grandeur, placing it sixth. In contrast, during the same period last year, it topped the rankings with 29,864 units sold, marking a 54% year-over-year decrease in sales.
This drop is attributed to the waning effect of the Grandeur’s new model introduction. While the current Grandeur model was launched in November 2022, the Santa Fe, Sorento, and Carnival models that took the top three spots were all introduced in the second half of last year.
The preference for SUVs in the South Korean automotive market has been intensifying over time. In the first quarter of 2020, sedans like the Grandeur (first), K5 (third), and Sonata (fifth) enjoyed significant popularity.
From 2021 to 2023, the top five included one or two sedan models during the first quarter. However, this year, sedans were completely absent from the top five best-selling vehicles.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
