The Korea Import Automotive Association reported on the 6th that the sales volume of imported cars in the first half of 2023 was 130,689 units, a decrease of 0.2% compared to 131,009 units during the same period last year.
This year, BMW is the winner in the import car market, with a tally of 38,106 units sold, marking a slight increase of 1.5% from 37,552 units in the same period last year. In contrast, Mercedes-Benz recorded 35,423 units, down 9.6% from 39,197 units year-on-year. Audi saw an increase, with 9,636 units sold, which is a 13.6% rise from 8,470 units last year.
By engine displacement, 69,311 (53.0%) of the sales were for compact cars with less than 2,000cc, indicating that half of the new customers for imported vehicles prefer compact cars that are cheaper to maintain. In terms of sales by country, European cars made up 110,854 units (84.8%), showing a strong attachment to European vehicles among domestic import car buyers.
Looking at sales by fuel type, gasoline vehicles accounted for 61,891 units (47.4%), while hybrids reached 41,459 units (31.7%), indicating that most new import car customers opted for gasoline or hybrid powertrain models.
The best-selling models in the first half of the year were the BMW 5 Series (12,200 units), the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (9,408 units), and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (6,308 units).
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr