Korea now the fifth-largest Mercedes market globally

Korea emerged as the world’s fifth-largest market for the German luxury auto brand Mercedes-Benz in the first half of the year thanks to its high popularity among local motorists, data showed Monday.

Mercedes-Benz sold 37,723 vehicles in Korea in the January-June period, up a whopping 54 percent from the previous year, according to the data by its local distributor Mercedes-Benz Korea.

In terms of sales, Korea became the fifth-biggest market for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the world after China, the United States, Germany and Britain.

In particular, Mercedes-Benz sold more midsize E-Class and premium S-Class sedans in Korea than its home turf Germany.

Sales of E-Class executive sedans reached 18,546 units in the first half, the third-largest after those in China and the U.S. Germany came in fourth, trailed by Japan and Britain.’

Monthly sales of the E-Class sedan topped 3,000 units this year, despite its price tag ranging from 61.9 million won ($55,000) to 112 million won.

Sales of the S-Class top-of-the-line sedan came to about 2,500 units in Korea during the six-month period.

Yonhap