June Complete Vehicle Industry: Domestic Sales Down 24%, Exports Up 29%... COVID-19 Base Effect

Hyundai Ioniq 5

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Five domestic automakers saw their domestic sales drop by more than 20% compared to the same period last year last month due to the semiconductor shortage and other factors. On the other hand, overseas sales increased by nearly 30% due to the base effect from COVID-19 and the recovery of demand in the global automobile market.

According to the aggregated June sales performance of the five automakers on the 1st, their total domestic and overseas sales reached 683,023 units, a 13.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

The five companies’ domestic sales totaled 134,761 units, down 23.6% year-on-year, while overseas sales (including semi-knockdown products) recorded 548,262 units, up 28.6%. Renault Samsung Motors and SsangYong Motor showed remarkable export growth, while among the five companies, only Korea GM showed a decline.

Hyundai Motor sold 68,407 units domestically and 286,002 units overseas, totaling 354,409 units, a 14.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Domestic sales decreased by 18.3%, while overseas sales increased by 26.5%.

In the domestic market, the Grandeur sold 9,483 units, maintaining the top spot in domestic sales for three consecutive months. The Porter ranked second with 9,208 units sold. The first dedicated electric vehicle, Ioniq 5, sold 3,667 units, up from 1,919 units the previous month. The hydrogen fuel cell vehicle Nexo sold 751 units, surpassing 15,000 units in cumulative domestic sales.

Including the Ioniq 5 and Nexo, Hyundai’s eco-friendly vehicles sold a total of 11,052 units, a 52.5% increase compared to the same month last year. The cumulative sales for the first half of the year increased by 35.5% to 51,085 units.

Kia sold 49,280 units domestically and 204,312 units overseas, totaling 253,592 units, a 20.2% increase compared to the same period last year. Domestic sales decreased by 17.9% due to the semiconductor shortage and other factors, while overseas sales increased by 35.4%.

In the domestic market, the Carnival sold 6,689 units, marking the 10th consecutive month as Kia’s top monthly seller, and the Bongo III sold 5,929 units. Bus and truck sales combined totaled 6,203 units, a 5.5% increase.

Kia’s eco-friendly vehicle sales totaled 8,048 units, a 7.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The cumulative sales for the first half of the year rose 44.0% to 43,350 units.

Korea GM sold a total of 26,876 units based on finished vehicles, a 3.4% increase. Domestic sales were 5,740 units, down 38.6%, but exports increased by 27.1% to 21,136 units. However, including semi-knockdown products, exports decreased by 3.2% to 46,612 units, and overall sales declined by 8.9%.

The Trailblazer, a key export model, along with the Buick Encore GX sharing the same vehicle platform, exported 15,145 units (based on finished vehicles) in one month, a 267.3% increase.

Renault Samsung Motors sold 14,166 units domestically and overseas, down 0.7%. Domestic sales were 5,610 units, down 59.0%, while exports surged about 14 times (1,345.3%) to 8,556 units. The XM3, a key model in Renault Samsung’s survival plan, shipped 7,679 units. Starting last month, the XM3 has been sold in 28 European countries, marking a full-scale entry into the European market.

SsangYong Motor sold 8,504 units, down 16.5% compared to the same period last year. Domestic sales decreased by 41.3% to 5,724 units, while exports increased sharply by 539.1% to 2,780 units, supported by the rising sales of the The New Rexton Sports and Khan models.

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