Sales by South Korea’s five domestic carmakers in August dropped 22.4% year on year although Hyundai-Kia posted strong overseas production and sales.
Hyundai sold 293,924 vehicles globally in August – down 4.6% from last year and the first fall in over three years – with its domestic sales dropping almost 30% to 35,950 units, mainly due to weaker domestic demand and the aftermath of strikes.
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Sales of vehicles made in its overseas factories totalled 204,641 units, up 14% compared to 179,553 units in August 2011.
Kia posted growth of 21.5% in sales from its overseas factories, up from 79,050 units to 96,016. Exports from Korea dropped 17.7% from 76,287 units to 62,810.
GM Korea said its August sales fell 17% in August due mainly to falling domestic and overseas sales. It sold 45,167 vehicles during the month compared with 54,444 units a year ago.
Domestic sales slipped 14% to 9,808 units, while exports dropped 17.8% to 35,359 vehicles.
For the January-August period, the company sold a cumulative 515,037 vehicles, down 3.7% over the same period a year ago.
Renault Samsung Motors saw August sales fall 59.4% and shifted just 11,082 vehicles in August compared with 27,328 units a year ago. Sales at home dropped 64% year on year to 4,001 units, with exports down 56.4% to 7,081.
Ssangyong reported a drop of 9.5% down to 9,136 vehicles from 10,100 a year ago.
