In January, domestic sales of imported cars increased compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, the share of hybrids among the sold imported cars exceeded 70%.
According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA), the number of new registrations for imported passenger cars in January was recorded at 15,229 units. This figure represents a 16.4% increase compared to the same month last year. Despite a decrease in business days due to the Lunar New Year holiday, this is interpreted as a result of companies' active promotional events and inventory clearance.
By brand, BMW recorded the highest sales with 5,960 units sold. It was followed by Mercedes-Benz with 3,790 units, Lexus with 1,126 units, Volvo with 1,033 units, Porsche with 644 units, Toyota with 430 units, and Ford with 366 units.
By fuel type, hybrid cars accounted for 11,551 units, making up 75.8% of total sales. This is the first time the share of hybrid cars in the monthly sales of imported vehicles exceeded 70%. Following this were gasoline cars with 2,834 units (18.6%), electric cars with 635 units (4.2%), and diesel cars with 209 units (1.4%).
By vehicle type, the BMW 5 Series was the best-selling model with 1,804 units sold. It was followed by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (1,438 units), Lexus ES (632 units), Mercedes-Benz GLS (607 units), BMW X5 (564 units), and BMW X3 (532 units).
By purchasing type, individual purchases accounted for 58.9%, while corporate purchases accounted for 41.1%.