It’s been a double whammy. The challenges of securing raw materials and the wave of high interest rates compounded the situation. In 2022, domestic car sales totaled 1,388,476 units, down 3.1% from the previous year’s 1,433,785 units. Among the six domestic automakers, Kia and Ssangyong saw an increase in sales, while all other brands displayed a downward trend.

Hyundai sold 553,839 units, a 5.8% decrease from last year’s 588,262 units. The Porter saw a slight increase with sales of 92,411 units, up 0.2%. However, the Grandeur declined by 24.8% to 67,030 units, and the Avante fell 17.3% to 58,743 units.

Genesis sold 135,045 units, down 2.7% from the previous year’s 138,756 units. The G80 accounted for 47,154 units, a drop of 20.7%, while the GV70 saw a 28% decrease with 29,497 units. The GV80 recorded 23,439 units, down 4.7% from the previous year’s 24,591 units.

Kia recorded sales of 541,068 units, a slight increase of 1.1% from the previous year’s 535,016 units. The Sorento’s sales reached 68,902 units, experiencing a 1.5% decline from 69,934 units last year. The Bongo increased its sales to 64,826 units, up 8.5% from last year’s 59,729 units. The Carnival, on the other hand, saw a decrease with sales of 59,058 units, down 19.7% from 73,503 units last year.

Ssangyong recorded sales of 68,666 units, an increase of 21.8% from the previous year’s 56,363 units. The Rexton Sports saw a slight increase with sales of 25,905 units, up 0.4%. The Torres, launched in July last year, sold 22,484 units within six months, establishing itself as Ssangyong’s new flagship model. However, the Tivoli fell 32% with sales of 11,130 units.

Renault Korea reported sales of 52,621 units, down 13.9% from the previous year’s 61,096 units. The QM6 sold 27,440 units, down 27.3% from last year’s 37,747 units. The XM3 saw an increase to 19,425 units, rising 17.5% from the previous year’s 16,535 units. The SM6 recorded a sales increase of 31.9%, with 4,218 units sold, compared to last year’s 3,198 units.

Chevrolet recorded sales of 37,237 units, a decline of 31.4% from last year’s 54,292 units. The Trailblazer sold 14,561 units, down 20.4% from last year’s 18,286 units. The Spark recorded 10,963 units, a significant drop of 39% from 17,975 units last year. The Colorado, with 2,848 units sold, saw a 24% decline from 3,754 units last year.

By Sang-jin Lee daedusj@autodiary.kr