I recently had the chance to visit South Korea, and one thing struck me almost immediately: Korean models were absolutely everywhere! In both Seoul and Daejeon, the streets and parking lots looked almost like life-sized Hyundai and Kia catalogues...
I obviously expected to see more domestic brands than we normally do back home. After all, Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are well-known Korean names. I simply did not expect their presence to be quite so dominant!
Was I exaggerating?
According to the statistics, not really. At the end of 2024, imported vehicles represented only 13% of South Korea’s total vehicle fleet. In 2025, they accounted for just over 20% of new vehicle registrations. In other words, nearly four out of every five new vehicles were still produced domestically.
This dominance is actually fairly easy to explain. Hyundai and Kia offer practically everything a driver could want: small city cars, sedans, SUVs, electric vehicles and even luxury models. Korean consumers can therefore support a domestic company without having to compromise when it comes to selection.
The most popular models in South Korea
To better understand the phenomenon, let’s take a look at the sales charts. The country’s best-selling vehicle in 2025 was the Kia Sorento, with approximately 100,000 units sold. It was followed by the Hyundai Avante (the Korean name for our Elantra), the Kia Carnival, the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Grandeur.
Yes, all five of the top positions were occupied by Hyundai or Kia!
Some of these models are very familiar to us. The Sorento, Sportage and Carnival are already part of everyday life for many Canadian motorists. Others, however, made me feel as though I had entered a parallel universe where the badges were familiar, but the vehicles were not...
Vehicles we do not get in Canada
The Hyundai Grandeur, for example, is a large luxury sedan that is extremely popular in South Korea but unavailable here. I also spotted several Kia Rays, tiny boxy cars equipped with a sliding rear door.
There was also the Hyundai Casper, a friendly-looking little crossover, as well as the Hyundai Staria. This enormous futuristic van, which looks more like a space shuttle than a traditional family vehicle, is extremely popular, even on Seoul’s narrow streets.
Imported brands are gaining ground in South Korea, particularly with the rapid arrival of Chinese electric vehicles. Despite that, the statistics appear to confirm the impression I had during my trip: the Korean automotive industry still rules its home turf. For a car enthusiast like me, walking through the streets of Seoul felt like visiting a permanent auto show!
