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Korea's midsize carmakers unveil sluggish sales in Q3 amid lack of new models

Published: 26 Oct. 2025, 12:45

Renault offers the new 2026 Arkana Hybrid E-Tech in three different trims: Techno, Iconic and Alpine [RENAULT KOREA]

Korea's three midsize carmakers have posted sluggish domestic sales through the third quarter of 2025, falling behind major foreign brands amid a lack of new models, data showed Sunday.

The combined domestic sales of Renault Korea, KG Mobility and GM Korea came to 82,464 units as of September, according to the data compiled by auto industry tracker Carisyou, raising concerns that their annual sales may barely hover around 100,000 units this year, marking a record low.

The three carmakers' total domestic sales stood at 109,101 units in 2024.

By company, Renault Korea sold 40,431 units as of the end of September, followed by KG Mobility with 29,969 units and GM Korea with 12,064 units.

Their performances lagged behind those of major imported brands, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla posting domestic sales of 57,840, 48,248 and 43,637 units, respectively, over the same period.

"It is concerning Korean carmakers' performance lagged behind Tesla, which has introduced only the Model Y here," an industry official said.

The three midsize carmakers have been gradually losing ground in the domestic market, with their combined market share standing at 7.6 percent last year, compared with 11.2 percent in 2021.

Industry watchers attributed the sluggish performance to the delayed releases of new models, noting that Renault Korea, which had typically lagged behind its medium-sized rivals, posted the highest domestic sales among the three in the first nine months of the year on the back of its Grand Koleos sport utility vehicle released last year.

Yonhap