Tesla Joins the '10,000 Club'... Ranks 4th Among Imported Cars

Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi Followed by 4th Place
Imported Cars 'Top 5' Anticipate Late Shift

Tesla Model 3.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] American electric vehicle company Tesla has joined the "10,000 annual sales club." It has also jumped to 4th place in the domestic imported car market rankings, threatening the dominance of the traditionally top-tier brands.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) on the 7th, the number of newly registered imported passenger cars last month was ranked as follows: Mercedes-Benz (5,958 units), BMW (5,275 units), Audi (2,528 units), Mini (1,108 units), and Volkswagen (872 units). From January to September this year, cumulative sales were led by Mercedes-Benz (53,571 units) and BMW (41,773 units), followed by Audi and Volkswagen.

What stands out is Tesla's performance. Although Tesla is not a KAIDA member and thus not included in the rankings, its sales figures show it has risen to 4th place in the imported car industry. According to Kaizyou Data Research Institute, which compiles statistics by vehicle type based on Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport vehicle registration data, Tesla sold 2,056 units in September. Its cumulative sales from January to September this year reached 10,518 units. Both monthly performance and cumulative sales this year rank Tesla fourth, following the imported car "big three" of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi.

The rapid growth is driven by the Model 3. Over 9,900 units of the Model 3 were delivered to customers this year alone. As Tesla has increased production in recent years, vehicle deliveries have been in full swing domestically since the end of last year. Nearly 2,000 units were delivered last month, competing at the top tier of the domestic imported car market alongside best-selling models like the E-Class and 5 Series.

An industry insider noted, "It is worth paying attention to the fact that Tesla is competing with established traditional players in the imported car market solely with electric vehicles, which still represent a small share." They added, "If Tesla’s brand power is combined with marketing, it could cause a seismic shift in the domestic imported car market."

Meanwhile, the number of newly registered imported passenger cars last month continued its growth trend, increasing by 8.1% year-on-year to 21,839 units. Accordingly, the cumulative total from January to September this year reached 191,747 units, about a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. Of the imported cars sold this year, 8 out of 10 were European brands, with German cars (67.2% market share) showing particularly strong performance. During the same period, Japanese brands, hit hard by the boycott movement, sold only 14,528 units, about half of last year’s figure. Lim Han-gyu, Vice Chairman of KAIDA, explained, "In September, while some brands faced supply shortages, others secured inventory and benefited from new model effects, resulting in registration numbers similar to the previous month."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.