The first quarter of the domestic car market showed a contrasting story. Hyundai, Kia, and KG Mobility enjoyed a surge in sales due to new models, while Renault Korea and GM Korea struggled without any new launches. The Grandeur proved its worth once again by topping the sales chart, overtaking the Porter.

Hyundai sold 160,261 units, up 25.3% from last year’s 119,671 units. The Grandeur, Hyundai’s star model, sold 29,864 units, marking a significant 130% increase from last year’s 12,959 units. The Porter saw sales of 27,972 units, which is a 54% jump from 18,146 units last year. The Avante recorded 19,055 units sold, a 46% rise from 13,026 units last year.

The Genesis brand saw a slight dip in its numbers, with 30,786 units sold, down 5.1% from last year’s 32,427 units. The G80 recorded 13,017 units sold, a 7.8% decrease compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the GV70 sold 6,594 units, down 4.6%, although the GV80 saw a 12.9% increase with 6,340 units sold.

Kia recorded 142,016 units sold, an increase of 16.7% from last year’s 121,664 units.

The Carnival saw a significant boost in sales, hitting 19,816 units, an impressive 75% increase. The Sportage also rose to 17,199 units, marking a 30.7% increase, while the Sorento sold 16,246 units, up 6.3% from last year.

KG Mobility sold 22,819 units, a substantial increase of 57.6% from last year’s 14,478 units. The Torres model was a key contributor, with 16,852 units sold, despite the Rexton Sports sales dropping to 3,485 units, down 58.2% from last year, and the Tivoli selling only 1,348 units, a 61.8% decrease.

Renault Korea recorded 6,970 units sold, a 44.9% decrease from last year’s 12,659 units. The QM6 saw sales drop to 3,224 units, a 56.5% decline, and the XM3’s sales fell by 26% to 2,960 units. The SM6 managed a slight rise to 724 units sold, compared to 610 units last year, reflecting an 18% increase.

GM Korea sold just 3,837 units, a 48% drop from 7,399 units last year. The Trailblazer’s sales plummeted to 1,430 units, a 59% decrease compared to last year’s 3,500 units. The Spark sold 1,112 units, losing 42.2% from last year’s 1,925 units, and the Colorado recorded 383 units, down 62% from 1,009 units the previous year.

By Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr