'Hybrid Cars' Over 'Diesel Cars'

The appearance of Hyundai's The New Grandeur Hybrid vehicle. (Unrelated to the article)

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Driven by growing interest in low-emission eco-friendly vehicles, the preference for hybrid cars has surpassed that for diesel cars. With the number of registered hybrid vehicles exceeding 600,000 and automakers introducing a wider variety of models, the high preference for hybrid vehicles is expected to continue.

Hybrid Cars Surpass Diesel Cars

The Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation, which conducts consumer behavior surveys on industries with monthly marketing issues, conducted a survey on consumers' car purchasing intentions last month and announced the results on the 17th. The survey was conducted online from August 14 to 18 among 1,000 men and women aged 20 to 59 nationwide, revealing that the intention to purchase hybrid cars has surpassed that for diesel cars.

Among all respondents, 20% expressed a desire to purchase a hybrid car, while about 17% preferred diesel cars. Particularly, men showed more interest in hybrid cars than women, with strong interest among those in their 20s and 50s. In contrast, diesel cars were preferred more by women than men, especially among women in their 30s and 40s.

This reflects the current situation where the market, previously divided between gasoline and diesel cars, is seeing an increasing presence of hybrid vehicles. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of registered hybrid cars exceeded 580,000 as of July. Given that more than 10,000 hybrid cars are sold monthly, the total registrations are expected to have already surpassed 600,000. The government requires automakers to allocate 15% of their sales to eco-friendly vehicles, leading manufacturers to expand their hybrid vehicle lineups, which appears to be influencing consumer preferences.

Key Factors in Vehicle Purchase: 'Price' and 'Maintenance'

The vehicle type with the highest purchase intention among consumers was gasoline cars, chosen by 43% of all respondents. By gender, women showed a higher preference than men. Especially among those in their 20s and 50s, more than half of respondents expressed a desire to buy gasoline cars.

About 70% of respondents reported owning a private passenger car. Approximately 32% indicated an intention to purchase a private car within the next year.

Respondents cited 'price' as the most important factor influencing their car preferences. This was followed by fuel efficiency, maintenance costs, safety, engine performance, and driving performance when selecting a vehicle. When broken down by gender, men placed relatively more importance on after-sales service (A/S), while women valued fuel efficiency and maintenance costs more highly.

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