Gross sales of mini automobiles by Korea’s 5 automakers are anticipated to stay under 100,000 items for a second consecutive yr in 2025, trade information confirmed Sunday, amid an absence of recent fashions and shifting client preferences.
From January to October, the 5 carmakers — Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Korea Motors and KG Mobility Corp. — offered a mixed 60,004 mini automobiles, down 27.3 p.c from 82,485 items a yr earlier, in accordance with their gross sales information.
If the development continues, annual mini automotive gross sales are anticipated to return in at round 70,000 items this yr, marking a record-low degree.
GM Korea halted manufacturing of its Chevrolet Spark final yr, pulling complete annual mini automotive gross sales under 100,000 items for the primary time, to 98,743 autos, the information confirmed.
Mini automotive fashions presently obtainable within the home market embody Hyundai Motor’s Casper and Kia’s Ray and Morning.
The downward development seems to stem from a scarcity of recent mini automotive fashions, delays in upcoming launches, and rising client choice for small sport utility autos (SUVs) amid rising demand for out of doors leisure actions, comparable to tenting and fishing.
“Mini automotive gross sales are anticipated to stay sluggish as no new fashions are scheduled for launch in the interim,” an trade official stated.
In distinction, demand for mini automobiles stays strong within the used-car market amid a protracted financial slowdown.
In third-quarter used-car gross sales rankings, Kia’s Morning ranked first, adopted by GM’s Spark in second and Kia’s Ray in fourth, in accordance with auto trade tracker Carisyou.
