Sales of mini cars by South Korea's five major automakers are expected to remain below 100,000 units for a second consecutive year in 2025. From January to October this year, sales dropped 27.3% from the previous year, driven by a lack of new models and shifting consumer preferences.
South Korea's five automakers—Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Korea Motors, and KG Mobility Corp.—are projected to sell fewer than 100,000 mini cars in 2025, according to industry data. From January to October this year, they sold a combined 60,004 units, a 27.3% decline from 82,485 units in the same period last year.
If the trend persists, annual sales for 2024 could reach around 70,000 units, hitting a record low. GM Korea halted production of its Chevrolet Spark last year, which first pushed total mini car sales below 100,000 to 98,743 vehicles.
The only mini car models currently available in the domestic market are Hyundai Motor's Casper and Kia's Ray and Morning. The downturn stems from a shortage of new models, delays in launches, and growing consumer preference for small sport utility vehicles (SUVs) amid rising demand for outdoor leisure activities like camping and fishing. "Mini car sales are expected to remain sluggish as no new models are scheduled for release for the time being," an industry official said.
In contrast, demand for mini cars stays strong in the used-car market during the prolonged economic slowdown. In third-quarter used-car sales rankings, Kia's Morning took first place, followed by GM's Spark in second and Kia's Ray in fourth, per auto industry tracker Carisyou.