Home

The Korea Herald

Latest news

Most Popular

  1. 1

    Industry experts predicts tough choices as NewJeans' ultimatum nears

    Industry experts predicts tough choices as NewJeans' ultimatum nears
  2. 2

    Jung's paternity reveal exposes where Korea stands on extramarital babies

    Jung's paternity reveal exposes where Korea stands on extramarital babies
  3. 3

    Seoul city opens emergency care centers

    Seoul city opens emergency care centers
  4. 4

    Opposition chief acquitted of instigating perjury

    Opposition chief acquitted of instigating perjury
  5. 5

    Samsung entangled in legal risks amid calls for drastic reform

    Samsung entangled in legal risks amid calls for drastic reform
  1. 6

    [Exclusive] Hyundai Mobis eyes closer ties with BYD

    [Exclusive] Hyundai Mobis eyes closer ties with BYD
  2. 7

    [Herald Interview] 'Trump will use tariffs as first line of defense for American manufacturing'

    [Herald Interview] 'Trump will use tariffs as first line of defense for American manufacturing'
  3. 8

    [Herald Review] 'Gangnam B-Side' combines social realism with masterful suspense, performance

    [Herald Review] 'Gangnam B-Side' combines social realism with masterful suspense, performance
  4. 9

    Agency says Jung Woo-sung unsure on awards attendance after lovechild revelations

    Agency says Jung Woo-sung unsure on awards attendance after lovechild revelations
  5. 10

    Why S. Korean refiners are reluctant to import US oil despite Trump’s energy push

    Why S. Korean refiners are reluctant to import US oil despite Trump’s energy push
피터빈트

BMW, Mercedes-Benz sell more cars in Korea than Japan

By a2016032

Published : May 21, 2017 - 10:06

    • Link copied

German carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles in South Korea in the January-April period compared to Japan, an industry association said Sunday.

Vehicle sales by BMW and Mercedes-Benz jumped 48 percent and 32 percent year-on-year, respectively, to 18,115 and 24,877 units in the Korean market during the first four months, showed data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.

In Japan, BMW's sales rose 2.2 percent to 15,818 units and Mercedes-Benz's increased 0.7 percent to 21,365 during the same period, the data showed.  

BMW's new 5 series model (Yonhap) BMW's new 5 series model (Yonhap)

It is the first time the two German carmakers have performed better in South Korea than in Japan. The reversal is mainly affected by the Audi-Volkswagen Group's emissions scandal.

In July last year, Audi-Volkswagen Group voluntarily stopped selling its vehicles in Korea as the Seoul government announced it will ban the sale of all Audi and Volkswagen cars while imposing heavy fines on the German carmaker after it admitted last year to having falsified US emissions tests in some of its diesel-powered cars.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz apparently absorbed customers who were planning to buy vehicles made by the troubled Volkswagen Group in Korea.
Mercedes-Benz's new E-class coupe (Yonhap) Mercedes-Benz's new E-class coupe (Yonhap)

From January to April, Japan was ahead of South Korea in terms of the size of the import market. Imported carmakers sold 96,877 vehicles in Japan during the four months, up 4.6 percent from a year earlier, while selling 75,017 units in Korea, a 1.6-percent on-year gain. (Yonhap)

More from Headlines