Japanese Cars Neglected Domestically... New Model Launch Shows Strong Impact

On the 18th, at a studio in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, a model introduced the new car at the official launch event of Toyota's '2022 New Camry.' The 2022 New Camry, a facelift model of the 8th generation Camry, enhanced its marketability with a more striking and sophisticated design, improved preventive safety technologies, and convenience features. A newly added Camry Hybrid XSE trim strengthened the electrified lineup. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The sales volume of Japanese automobile brands in Korea, which had been hit hard by the boycott movement against Japanese products called 'NoNo Japan,' is gradually increasing. This is interpreted as benefiting from the effect of new car launches by actively introducing vehicle models preferred by domestic consumers.

According to industry sources on the 22nd, Japanese car brands such as Toyota, Honda, and Lexus have been steadily introducing new vehicles this year, including popular sports utility vehicles (SUVs), multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), and hybrid cars in Korea.

Honda, which set a sales target of 6,000 units this year, early in January launched the New Accord Hybrid, Honda's representative sedan, and the SUV New CR-V. In February, it introduced the 2021 model New Odyssey family minivan to the domestic market. The 2021 New Odyssey boasts safety features, having received the highest rating, Top Safety Pick Plus, in the small overlap test by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Toyota Korea also launched the minivan 'New Sienna' last month, followed by the official launch and full-scale sales of the 2022 model New Camry on the 18th of this month. The New Camry, an eighth-generation facelift model, consists of one gasoline trim (XLE) and three hybrid trims (Hybrid XSE, XLE, LE). It is equipped with improved safety and convenience features compared to the previous Camry, with prices (based on a 3.5% individual consumption tax) ranging from 36.69 million to 43.57 million KRW.

As for Lexus, it previously launched the facelifted model New LS (gasoline LS500, hybrid LS500h) in March. At the end of last month, it introduced the high-performance LC500 Convertible to the domestic market. The LC500 Convertible, equipped with a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 gasoline engine, delivers 477 horsepower and a maximum torque of 55.1 kg·m. This is seen as a response to the increasing number of domestic consumers interested in high-performance models.

With the successive launch of new Japanese car models in Korea, sales have been increasing since March. Japanese car brands sold 1,737 units in March, a 23.5% increase compared to March of last year. Last month, they sold a total of 1,548 units, up 25.8% year-on-year. An industry official explained, "The impact of the boycott movement is easing, and Japanese automakers are continuously launching new models and hybrid vehicles domestically this year. The prices of newly released Japanese cars are similar to those of domestic cars, making them an alternative for consumers, which is driving the increase in sales."

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