20,850 New Imported Car Registrations in August... 8% Increase YoY

An imported car showroom in downtown Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Korea Imported Automobile Association announced on the 5th that the number of newly registered imported passenger cars last month was 23,850 units. This represents an increase of about 7.8% compared to the same period last year and about 11.3% compared to the previous July. The cumulative number of new registrations from January to August this year was 176,282 units, a decrease of 9.3% compared to last year.

By brand, BMW led with 7,303 units, ranking first for three consecutive months since June. Mercedes-Benz followed with 5,940 units, and Audi with 2,310 units. Chevrolet registered 1,067 units, Volkswagen 1,043 units, Mini 947 units, and Toyota 713 units. Other brands with significant registration volumes included Porsche (677 units), Ford (642 units), Polestar (553 units), Volvo (525 units), and Jeep (496 units).

By engine displacement, vehicles under 2000cc accounted for 12,895 units, making up 54.1%. Those between 2000cc and under 3000cc were 6,998 units, or 29.3%. Electric vehicles and other categories reached 1,699 units, accounting for 7.1%. By brand nationality, European brands dominated with 83.6%, followed by American brands at 10.4%, and Japanese brands at 6.1%. Gasoline vehicles accounted for 53.0%, more than half, hybrids 23.7%, diesel 12.0%, electric vehicles 7.1%, and plug-in hybrids 4.1%.

The best-selling model last month was the Mercedes-Benz mid-size sedan E 250, with 836 new registrations. The same brand's E 350 4MATIC followed with 641 units, and the BMW 520 with 600 units. Lim Han-gyu, Vice Chairman of the Korea Imported Car Association, explained, "Some brands secured inventory, leading to an increase compared to the previous month."

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