Data released by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) on Wednesday showed that South Korea's imported vehicle sales in November increased by 23% year-on-year, rising from 23,784 units in the same period last year to 29,357 units, driven by strong demand for Tesla Motors and German models.
The top three best-selling imported models in November were the Tesla Model Y, Mercedes-Benz E200 sedan, and Tesla Model Y Long Range.
Tesla Motors' sales in South Korea more than doubled in November, surging to 7,632 units from 3,618 units in the same month last year.
By fuel type, hybrid vehicles (15,064 units) accounted for 51% of monthly sales, followed by pure electric vehicles (37%), gasoline-powered cars (10.9%), and diesel vehicles (1.1%).
In the first 11 months of this year, South Korea's imported car sales grew by 16.3% to 278,769 units, up from 239,764 units in the same period last year.
The three major German automakers—Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz—collectively sold 155,292 units in the first 11 months, a 3.2% increase compared to 150,447 units in the previous year.
Six out of every 10 imported cars sold in South Korea during the January-November period were German brands.
