A younger sibling that shines brighter than its older brother—Kia. Thanks to the strong sales performance of its flagship trio: Sorento, Carnival, and Sportage, Kia has surpassed Hyundai’s sales figures for two consecutive months. Although the saying goes that there’s no sibling better than the older brother, in the automotive market, Kia has proven its prowess by outdoing Hyundai.
In February, the overall sales of domestic vehicles totaled 99,271 units, a decrease of 3.4% compared to the previous month’s 102,794 units, due to fewer working days during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Kia sold 44,076 units, a slight decline of 1.4% compared to the previous month’s 44,683 units. The Sorento sold 8,674 units, which is a drop of 6.6% from the previous month’s 9,284 units. In contrast, the Carnival saw an increase in sales, reaching 7,989 units, up 13.3% from the previous month’s 7,049 units. The Sorento and Carnival maintained their positions as the top two bestsellers in the domestic market, effectively establishing a stronghold. The Sportage also performed well, selling 6,991 units, an increase of 17.8%.
Meanwhile, Hyundai recorded sales of 37,071 units, which is a 3.6% decrease from the previous month’s 38,461 units. The Santa Fe’s sales fell by 7.5% to 7,413 units, while the Porter saw a significant drop of 29% to 6,355 units. Conversely, the Grandeur’s sales rose by 9% to 3,963 units.
Genesis recorded sales of 10,582 units, a decrease of 6.8% from the previous month’s 11,349 units. The GV80 increased slightly to 4,652 units, up 1.2% from 4,596 units sold the previous month. The G80 sold 3,256 units, reflecting a 6.8% decrease, while the GV70 saw a significant drop, selling only 1,805 units compared to the previous month’s 2,232 units, a 19.1% decrease.
KG Mobility reported sales of 3,748 units, a slight decrease of 0.4% from the previous month’s 3,762 units, indicating stable performance. The Torres saw an increase in sales, totaling 1,540 units, up 5.3% from 1,462 units. The Rexton Sports, however, dropped significantly, with sales of 994 units compared to 1,362 units the previous month, a decline of 27%. The Tivoli sold 551 units, down 12.1% from the previous month’s 627 units.
General Motors reported a total of 1,987 units, marking a substantial decrease of 31.3% compared to 2,894 units sold the previous month. The Tracker crossover recorded sales of 1,447 units, down 35.6% from 2,246 units last month. The Trailblazer’s sales fell to 367 units, a 20% decrease from the previous month’s 461 units. Meanwhile, the Traverse saw a slight drop to 117 units from 119 units last month.
Renault’s sales totaled 1,807 units, which is a 9.8% increase compared to last month’s 1,645 units. The XM3 sold 905 units, marking a decrease of 7% from the previous month’s 974 units. The QM6 and SM6 recorded sales of 803 and 99 units, respectively.
By Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr