Domestic Car Sales Showed Some Recovery Last Month

The Hyundai Motor Group, GM Korea, Ssangyong Motors, and Renault Samsung Motors sold 135,218 cars in the Korean market last month to record an 11.5 percent increase from a year ago and an 11.3 percent increase from a month earlier. It was recreational vehicles that led the growth. For example, the sales volume of the Hyundai Santa Fe increased by 3,615 to 9,073 between May and June this year.

Hyundai Motor Company broke the 60,000 mark in three months. Kia Motors sold 45,010 cars last month to show a growth of 26.8 percent year on year. The sales volume of the Kia Sorento, which made its debut in August 2014, amounted to 7,212 and reached a new monthly high.

Ssangyong Motors’ volume added up to 8,420 last month, the highest since 2005 and 63.3 percent more than that recorded in June 2014. The Tivoli was chosen by 3,630 customers and accounted for 43 percent of the company’s sales in the domestic market. GM Korea sold 12,233 cars, 0.8 percent more than a year ago, while Renault Samsung Motors’ volume declined by 20.7 percent year-on-year to 6,753.

In the meantime, Hyundai Motor Company exported 345,224 cars last month, 112,653 of them manufactured in Korea. The exports decreased by 2.2 percent compared to the same period last year. The sales from its overseas plants declined, although the shipments from Korea increased. Specifically, the former decreased by 7.6 percent from 251,680, whereas the latter showed an 11.3 percent increase from 101,240. The figures were 100,280 and 118,637 for Kia Motors, respectively. The combined volume increased by 4.3 percent from a year earlier. Although the former edged down by 4.0 percent, the latter increased by 12.5 percent.

GM Korea exported 42,953 cars in June this year, 9.3 percent and 1.1 percent more than a year and a month ago, respectively. Renault Samsung Motors’ export volume reached 10,211, showing a 17.2 percent decrease from a month ago and a 245.4 percent increase from a year earlier. Ssangyong Motors’ totaled 3,592, dropping by 4.9 percent and 40.3 percent from a month and a year earlier, respectively.