The domestic car market showed a significant contraction in the first half of the year
In the first half of 2024, domestic car sales recorded 670,373 units, down 11% from 759,605 units in the previous year. All six domestic brands experienced a decline in sales.
Hyundai sold 277,910 units, reflecting a 15% decrease from 327,311 units during the same period last year. The Santa Fe saw a remarkable rise with 39,765 units sold, a 140% increase from the 16,551 units sold last year. The Porter saw a decline to 38,561 units, down 27% from 53,351 units last year. The Grandeur’s sales fell 47% to 33,370 units from 62,970 units in the same period last year.
Genesis recorded sales of 67,794 units, a slight decrease of 2.1% from 69,293 units during the same period last year. The G80’s sales reached 24,731 units, down 10.2% from 27,121 units last year. The GV80 saw a 63% increase with 23,812 units sold compared to 14,656 units in the same period last year. Meanwhile, the GV70 saw a decline with sales of 13,705 units, down 14.4% from 16,003 units last year.
Kia sold 276,021 units, down 5.7% from 292,832 units in the previous year. They are closely chasing Hyundai, trailing by just over 1,000 units.
The Sorento recorded sales of 49,588 units, up 35.6% from 36,588 units last year, making it the best-selling domestic model for the first half of the year. The Carnival saw a 14% increase in sales to 44,868 units from 39,350 units last year. The Sportage also increased sales by 8.9% to 39,299 units from 36,084 units last year.
KG Mobility recorded 23,978 units, which is a 38.5% decrease from 38,968 units during the same period last year. The Torres also saw a major drop, selling only 8,492 units compared to 25,775 units last year, marking a decline of 67.1%. The Rexton Sports recorded sales of 6,430 units, down 17.6% from 7,800 units last year. The Torres EVX, which began customer deliveries in the first half of the year, sold 3,892 units and maintained its sales momentum.
General Motors recorded 13,457 units, 29.1% less than 18,984 units during the same period last year. The Trax Crossover sold 10,219 units, a 0.9% decrease from 10,310 units in the same period last year. The Trailblazer showed a significant drop, with sales of 2,402 units, down 43.7% from 4,267 units last year.
Renault Korea saw sales of 11,213 units, down 8.6% from 12,270 units last year. The QM6 recorded sales of 4,539 units, reflecting a 24% drop from 5,973 units in the previous year. The Arkana totaled 3,057 units in sales.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr