Casper and Ray lead the way, with Morning trailing behind. Subcompact car sales have surpassed 100,000 units last year, bringing renewed attention to the subcompact car market.
Last year’s subcompact car sales reached 132,911 units, up 25% from 98,743 units the previous year. The leading models in subcompact sales were Hyundai’s Casper and Kia’s Ray. The Casper recorded sales of 48,002 units, a staggering 344% increase from the previous year’s 10,806 units. It ranked second in Hyundai’s SUV lineup, following the Palisade (49,737 units).
Kia’s Ray sold 44,566 units, reflecting a 23.9% increase from the previous year’s 35,956 units. The Morning saw a slight decline with 29,380 units sold, down 3.8% from last year’s 30,530 units.
The Chevrolet Spark reported sales of 10,963 units, marking a 39% drop from last year’s 17,975 units.
The increase in subcompact car sales can be attributed to the economic downturn. With consumers tightening their budgets due to the recession, subcompact car sales have surged. The industry anticipates that with the continuing global recession influenced by economic slowdowns in the US and China, subcompact cars will remain in high demand this year.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr