South Korea January 2024: Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe top declining market

The new generation Santa Fe pushes the nameplate up to its highest ranking in 4.5 years.

The South Korean new car market edges down -1.3% year-on-year in January to 115,877. This is solely the fault of foreign manufacturers diving -19.4% to 13,083 whereas domestic brands are up 1.6% to 102,794. For the first time since last July, Kia (+15.5%) is the best-selling carmaker at home with a stunning 38.6% share compared with 32.5% over the Full Year 2023 and 31.6% in December. It topples traditional leader Hyundai (-12.3%) handicapped by the Asan plant, manufacturing the Grandeur, stopped operating this month. Genesis (+35.8%) surges ahead to eclipse the 10,000 monthly sales mark for the third month in a row. BMW (-28.9%) is the best-selling foreign brand again despite a ghastly loss. KG Mobility (-47.2%) fares even worse as EV subsidies were suspended at the start of the month, meaning the new Torres EVX failed to launch properly. GM Korea (+183.4%) improves on a particularly low year-ago basis with Lexus (+73.3%), Toyota (+196.6%), Mini (+94.6%), Lincoln (+383.1%) and Honda (+53%) also making themselves noticed.

In the domestic model ranking, the Kia Sorento (+101.3%) scores a third win in the past 4 months thanks to its facelift. It distances its competitor the Hyundai Santa Fe (+277.4%), up to #2 which is this generation’s best ranking and the nameplate’s highest position since September 2019 when it led the charts. The Carnival (+2.1%) and Sportage (+8%) make it three Kias in the Top 4. The Hyundai Tucson (+41.7%) is up 9 spots on December to #5 and the Genesis GV80 (+144.3%) is up three to #6 thanks to the new model. This is to be compared with #22 over the Full Year 2023. 

As far as foreign models are concerned, the BMW 5 Series (-47%) is #1 for the 2nd month running and for the 7th time in the past 10 months despite a ghastly fall. It archenemy the Mercedes E-Class (-31%) stays at #2 while the BMW X5 (+21.6%) is up 9 spots on last month to round out the podium. 5 of the next 7 models all score market defying gains, with the Mercedes GLE (+387.2%) the most dynamic followed by the Volvo XC60 (+124.6%), Mercedes GLC (+122.9%), BMW X7 (+33.4%) and Lexus ES (+16.8%).

Previous post: South Korea Full Year 2023: Hyundai Grandeur reclaims lead

One year ago: South Korea January 2023: New Hyundai Grandeur tops the charts

Full January 2024 Top 32 All brands, Top 51 domestic models and Top 50 foreign models below.

South Korea January 2024 – brands:

Pos Brand Jan-24 % /23 Dec FY23
1 Kia 44,683 38.6% + 15.5% 2 2
2 Hyundai 38,461 33.2% – 12.3% 1 1
3 Genesis 11,349 9.8% + 35.8% 3 3
4 BMW 4,330 3.7% – 28.9% 5 4
5 KG Mobility (ex Ssangyong) 3,762 3.2% – 47.2% 6 6
6 Mercedes 2,931 2.5% + 1.1% 4 5
7 GM Korea 2,894 2.5% + 183.4% 7 7
8 Renault Korea 1,645 1.4% – 22.3% 9 8
9 Lexus 998 0.9% + 73.3% 11 12
10 Volvo 965 0.8% – 4.2% 8 10
11 Toyota 786 0.7% + 196.6% 15 16
12 Porsche 677 0.6% – 6.7% 14 13
13 Mini 543 0.5% + 94.6% 16 15
14 Land Rover 340 0.3% – 28.4% 19 18
15 Lincoln 285 0.2% + 383.1% 17 22
16 Ford 229 0.2% – 6.9% 20 20
17 Jeep 213 0.2% – 12.7% 18 19
18 Audi 179 0.2% – 92.7% 12 9
19 Honda 177 0.2% + 156.5% 22 24
20 Chevrolet 155 0.1% – 56.9% 23 17
21 Peugeot 101 0.1% + 53.0% 21 21
22 Cadillac 57 0.0% – 24.0% 24 25
23 Volkswagen 53 0.0% – 73.0% 10 14
24 GMC 18 0.0% new 29 27
25 Maserati 16 0.0% + 23.1% 27 28
26 Bentley 13 0.0% – 81.7% 26 26
27 Rolls-Royce 9 0.0% – 52.6% 30 30
28 Lamborghini 7 0.0% – 75.0% 28 29
29 Tesla 1 0.0% n/a 13 11
30 DS 0 0.0% – 100.0% 31 31
31 Jaguar 0 0.0% – 100.0%  – 32
32 Polestar 0 0.0% new 25 23
 – Total local manufacturers 102,794 88.7% + 1.6%  –  –
 – Total foreign manufacturers 13,083 11.3% – 19.4%  –  –
 – Total market 115,877 100.0% – 1.3%  –  –

South Korea January 2024 – domestic models:

Pos Model Jan-24 /22 Dec FY23
1 Kia Sorento 9,284 + 101.3% 2 3
2 Hyundai Santa Fe 8,016 + 277.4% 3 8
3 Kia Carnival 7,049 + 2.1% 6 4
4 Kia Sportage 5,934 + 8.0% 5 5
5 Hyundai Tucson 5,152 + 41.7% 14 12
6 Genesis GV80 4,596 + 144.3% 9 22
7 Hyundai Avante 4,438 – 27.2% 8 6
8 Hyundai Porter 4,297 – 34.8% 4 2
9 Kia Ray 4,130 + 15.2% 10 9
10 Kia Seltos 3,944 + 17.2% 13 10
11 Hyundai Grandeur 3,635 – 60.2% 1 1
12 Genesis G80 3,494 – 13.9% 19 13
13 Kia K5 3,336 + 30.3% 15 20
14 Kia Bongo 3,074 – 14.1% 12 7
15 Hyundai Casper 3,006 – 2.1% 11 11
16 Hyundai Staria 2,996 + 1.5% 16 16
17 Kia K8 2,917 – 15.5% 22 15
18 Chevrolet Trax Crossover 2,246 new 24 24
19 Genesis GV70 2,232 + 94.3% 18 21
20 Hyundai Kona 1,976 + 131.4% 20 19
21 Hyundai Palisade 1,741 – 55.6% 21 14
22 KG Mobility Torres 1,462 – 73.1% 25 18
23 Kia K3 1,419 + 49.4% 26 29
24 KG Mobility Rexton Sports 1,362 + 95.1% 29 28
25 Kia Niro 1,241 – 2.2% 27 25
26 Kia Morning 1,214 – 33.0% 23 23
27 Renault Korea XM3 974 – 4.4% 32 33
28 Genesis G90 768 – 18.6% 28 30
29 KG Mobility Tivoli 627 – 0.8% 35 37
30 Renault Korea QM6 577 – 34.2% 31 31
31 Hyundai Sonata 496 – 80.5% 7 17
32 Chevrolet Trailblazer 461 + 7.2% 36 36
33 Kia EV9 449 new 17 35
34 Hyundai Venue 323 – 50.0% 34 34
35 Kia Mohave 291 – 39.6% 39 38
36 Genesis G70 252 – 20.5% 38 40
37 KG Mobility Rexton 180 + 29.5% 42 43
38 Kia K9 175 – 59.4% 40 41
39 Chevrolet Traverse 119 + 48.8% 47 50
40 KG Mobility Korando 104 – 52.1% 44 48
41 Renault Korea SM6 94 – 57.3% 43 44
42 Hyundai Ioniq 5 39 – 48.7% 30 27
43 Chevrolet Colorado 38 – 64.5% 48 46
44 Kia EV6 29 n/a 33 26
45 KG Mobility Torres EVX 27 new 37 45
46 GMC Sierra 14 new 50 53
47 Genesis GV60 7 + 0.0% 46 42
48 Chevrolet Tahoe 7 – 46.2% 51 54
49 Chevrolet Equinox 5 – 91.8% 49 51
50 Hyundai Ioniq 6 4 – 82.6% 41 32
51 Hyundai Nexo 2 – 99.3% 45 39

South Korea January 2024 – foreign models:

Pos Model Jan-24 /23 Dec Jan-23 FY23
1 BMW 5 Series 1,126 – 47.0% 1 2,124 2
2 Mercedes E Class 652 – 31.0% 2 945 1
3 BMW X5 585 + 21.6% 12 481 12
4 Lexus ES 556 + 16.8% 7 476 6
5 Mercedes GLE 531 + 387.2% 4 109 7
6 Volvo XC60 402 + 124.6% 10 179 10
7 BMW X3 389 – 46.8% 16 731 14
8 BMW X7 387 + 33.4% 8 290 18
9 Porsche Cayenne 358 – 8.7% 24 392 15
10 Mercedes GLC 321 + 122.9% 5 144 8
11 BMW X4 318 – 49.9% 20 635 13
12 Mini Cooper Hatch 261 + 94.8% 27 134 20
13 BMW X6 256 – 0.4% 18 257 19
14 Mercedes C Class 244 – 18.4% 11 299 16
15 Lexus NX 241 + 270.8% 19 65 22
16 BMW 3 Series 207 – 59.8% 26 515 9
17 Mercedes S Class 200 – 74.7% 3 790 4
18 BMW i5 190 new 15 n/a
19 Mercedes A Class 186 + 173.5% 43 68 n/a
20 Toyota RAV4 163 + 1153.8% 32 13 25
21 Toyota Camry 158 + 1.3% n/a 156 n/a
22 Lincoln Nautilus 157 + 15600.0% 36 1 n/a
23 Volvo S90 155 – 42.8% 38 271 24
24 Mercedes EQE 153 + 135.4% 14 65 23
25 Mini Countryman 139 + 52.7% 41 91 27
26 Toyota Prius 137 n/a n/a 0 n/a
27 Mercedes GLS 132 + 428.0% 30 25 39
28 Volvo XC90 126 – 39.4% 47 208 29
29 BMW 6 Series 124 – 68.2% 37 390 11
30 BMW X1 123 n/a 17 0 38
31 Range Rover 121 – 58.8% 49 294 30
32 Chevrolet Traverse 119 + 48.8% n/a 80 n/a
33 Mini Clubman 116 + 176.2% 39 42 35
34 Lexus RX 116 + 3766.7% 45 3 n/a
35 Volvo S60 113 – 42.9% n/a 198 n/a
36 Volvo XC40 110 + 323.1% 28 26 36
37 Porsche Macan 107 + 87.7% n/a 57 n/a
38 Ford Ranger 101 + 188.6% n/a 35 n/a
39 Mercedes GLB 100 + 117.4% 46 46 31
40 Mercedes EQB 93 + 126.8% 23 41 37
41 Lincoln Aviator 92 + 268.0% n/a 25 n/a
42 BMW 7 Series 87 – 4.4% 25 91 21
43 Porsche 911 85 + 37.1% n/a 62 n/a
44 Toyota Crown 85 new n/a 0 n/a
45 Ford Explorer 82 – 48.1% 50 158 n/a
46 Jeep Grand Cherokee 79 – 16.0% 34 94 n/a
47 Honda CR-V 78 + 271.4% n/a 21 n/a
48 Toyota Sienna 77 – 7.2% n/a 83 n/a
49 Mercedes CLA 74 – 28.8% 48 104 n/a
50 Land Rover Defender 74 + 10.4% n/a 67 n/a

Source: Manufacturers

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