Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe hybrid model is seen in this file photo provided by the automaker on July 1, 2021.
SEOUL, April 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Hybrid vehicles are enjoying rising popularity in both domestic and import car markets as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has jacked up energy costs.
According to Seoul-based Carisyou Data Lab, sales of hybrid cars reached 62,277 units in the first quarter of this year, up 172.1 percent from a year ago.
The most popular hybrid model in the first quarter of this year was Kia Corp.’s Sorento SUV hybrid with 11,516 units, followed by the K8 hybrid with 5,369 units and the Niro hybrid with 5,338 units.
As production fails to catch up with demand, it takes more than 18 months from contract to delivery when it comes to Kia’s Sportage hybrid and Sorento hybrid.
The stand-by time was extended by five to eight months compared to the end of last year.
In contrast, sales of internal combustion engine vehicles declined.
In the January to March period of this year, sales of gasoline vehicles stood at 193,085 units, down 7.2 percent year on year. Sales of diesel models also fell by 33.6 percent to 85,728 units.
Hybrid vehicles also enjoyed strong performance in the import car market. The number of imported hybrid vehicles registered as new cars in the first quarter of this year stood at 15,993 units, up 12 percent year on year.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
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