Sales of imported light passenger vehicles in South Korea continued to rise strongly in January 2026, by 38% to 20,960 units from 15,229 units in the same month last year, according to registration data released by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA).
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With this year’s Lunar New Year holidays falling in February, South Korea’s vehicle market benefited from more working days last month compared with last year. Imports continued to significantly outperform the domestic market, driven by strong sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Domestic sales by the country’s five main automakers rose by 10% to 99,790 units last month.
BMW continued to lead the import market in January with sales rising by 5.2% to 6,270 units, while sales by its Mini subsidiary more than doubled to 567 units. Together, the two brands accounted for almost one-third of total import sales.
Mercedes-Benz sales surged by 35% to 5,121 units last month. The automaker announced that it plans to launch ten new and facelifted passenger vehicle models in South Korea this year, as it looks to strengthen its line-up of electrified vehicles. Four new models will be based on new platforms, including the all-new battery-powered and hybrid CLA sedans, and the new battery-powered GLC and GLB SUVs.
Volkswagen Group reported a 56% rise to 1,815 units, while US EV maker Tesla sold 1,966 vehicles in January and Volvo sold 1,037 units. Toyota’s sales rose by 45% to 622 units, while its Lexus division reported a 30% sales rise to 1,464 units.
BYD, which launched operations in South Korea a little over a year ago, sold 1,347 units in January. The Chinese automaker has set itself a sales target of 10,000 units this year, helped by the launch of three additional models, including a rear-wheel-drive version of the Seal, the Dolphin hatchback and a Dual Mode intelligent (DM-i) plug-in hybrid model.
Stellantis also announced that it is stepping up its sales operations in South Korea with the launch of the Peugeot 5008 hybrid SUV and the Jeep Grand Cherokee this year.
