Tesla is on the verge of surpassing 100,000 annual new registrations in the domestic import car market, intensifying the competition between Mercedes-Benz and BMW for the second spot.
According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, Tesla sold 9,165 units in October, accounting for 29.5% of total imports. The cumulative registrations for the year stand at 98,313, making it likely that Tesla will exceed 100,000 sales in November.
While Tesla dominates the market, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are locked in a fierce monthly competition. Mercedes-Benz registered 6,774 units last month, overtaking BMW (5,633 units) to reclaim the second position. This marks the first time since January that Mercedes-Benz has surpassed BMW in monthly registrations.
Analysts attribute Mercedes-Benz's resurgence to the stabilization of its direct sales model (ROF) introduced in April and the impact of new vehicle launches in the second half of the year. Mercedes-Benz Korea noted that while dealers initially struggled to adapt to the new sales methods and incentive structures, there has been a growing understanding of the new sales framework, leading to improved stability in sales.
New vehicle releases and promotional discounts have also contributed to the recovery in performance. Since August, Mercedes-Benz has focused on selling the facelifted S-Class models and has been promoting the E200 model of its flagship E-Class sedan. This strategy aims to secure demand for luxury sedans while expanding sales of the relatively more accessible E-Class.
In fact, new registrations for the E-Class last month reached 3,683, a 48.0% increase compared to the same month last year, accounting for more than half of Mercedes-Benz's total registrations. In contrast, BMW's flagship 5 Series saw registrations drop to 1,478, a 17.1% decrease during the same period, highlighting the contrasting performance of the two brands' key models.
Mercedes-Benz is set to deliver the CLA and GLC models this month, suggesting that the sales recovery trend will continue through the end of the year. However, in terms of annual rankings, BMW still holds an advantage. From January to October, BMW's cumulative registrations stand at 63,563, while Mercedes-Benz has registered 49,989, leaving a gap of 13,574 units.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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