A nail-biting comeback victory. Mercedes-Benz, previously trailing behind BMW due to supply shortages, showcased its strength in the final days of December, achieving the status of the best-selling import car brand in South Korea for the seventh consecutive year.

The Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association reported that the total number of imported vehicles sold in 2022 reached 283,435 units, an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year’s 276,146 units. After a fierce battle between Mercedes-Benz and BMW until the last minute, the title of the best-selling brand in the import car market ultimately went to Mercedes-Benz. The brand sold 80,976 units, reflecting a 6.3% increase from the previous year’s 76,152 units. BMW, on the other hand, sold 78,545 units, marking a 19.6% increase from 65,669 units from the previous year, but fell to second place as Mercedes-Benz overtook them at the end.

Regarding registration figures by engine displacement, vehicles under 2,000cc accounted for 160,299 units (56.6%). This indicates that more than half of import car buyers opted for compact cars with lower maintenance costs. By country of origin, European cars dominated the market, with 241,449 units (85.2%) sold, highlighting the strong preference for European automobiles among import car purchasers.

In terms of fuel type sales, gasoline vehicles increased slightly by 1.6% to 139,821 units from 137,677 units in the previous year. Hybrid sales totaled 74,207 units, reflecting a 1.1% increase from last year’s 73,380 units. Diesel sales decreased by 15.3%, totaling 33,091 units compared to 39,041 units the previous year. Electric vehicle sales dramatically surged to 23,202 units, up 266% from just 6,340 units the year before, showcasing a significant acceleration towards carbon neutrality in the import car market.

The best-selling model in the import car market last year was the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with 28,318 units sold. Following closely were the BMW 5 Series (21,166 units) and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (13,206 units).

Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr