Korean Carmakers' April Sales Down 3.3% Amid Mixed Export Performance

The total sales volume for South Korea's five major automakers in April decreased by 3.3% to 666,248 units compared to the same month last year. While Hyundai struggled with sluggish sales, GM Korea and KG Mobility saw robust export performance.

Hyundai Motor sold a total of 325,589 units in April, an 8.0% decrease year-on-year. Both domestic sales and overseas sales fell by 19.9% and 5.1% respectively. This was attributed to supply chain disruptions caused by a fire at a partner company, leading to reduced production of key models.

Kia sold a total of 277,188 units during the same period, a 1.0% increase year-on-year. Although overseas sales decreased by 0.7%, a 7.9% rise in domestic sales offset this decline. In the global market, the Sportage was the top-selling model with 51,458 units sold.

GM Korea's sales surged by 14.7% year-on-year to 47,760 units. Domestic sales plummeted by 38.8% to just 811 units, but exports, which reached 46,949 units, a 16.4% increase, drove the company's performance. The Trax Crossover exported 31,239 units, up 12.7% year-on-year, while the Trailblazer exported 15,710 units, up 24.7%.

KGM (formerly SsangYong) sold 9,512 units, a 6.5% increase year-on-year. Exports rose by 13.8% to 6,130 units, surpassing 6,000 units for the first time in four months since December of the previous year.

Renault Korea sold a total of 6,199 units in April, a 40.5% decrease year-on-year. Both domestic sales and exports declined, falling by 23.4% and 58.0% respectively, indicating a slowdown in both markets.