'5 Years Consecutive Imported Car No.1' BMW Catching Up to Mercedes-Benz... Heated Race for the Lead

Mercedes-Benz, BMW Emblem

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The gap between Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which hold the first and second places in domestic imported car sales, is gradually narrowing.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) on the 7th, the number of newly registered imported cars in February was 22,290 units. Among them, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which ranked first and second in sales, recorded 5,707 and 5,660 units respectively.

As imported car sales are gradually increasing, the competition for first place between Mercedes-Benz and BMW is intensifying. Last year, the annual sales of Mercedes-Benz and BMW were 76,879 units and 58,393 units respectively, with an average monthly gap of about 1,540 units between the two companies. Although the sales gap in February last year was 1,003 units, the gap between Mercedes-Benz and BMW has narrowed to 47 units.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are each planning to launch new models this year, so the competition for first place is expected to become even fiercer. Mercedes-Benz, which has held the top spot among imported car brands for five consecutive years, launched the GLS 600 4MATIC, Maybach's first SUV model, this month to keep pace with the expanding sports utility vehicle (SUV) market. Prior to this, last month, it released the fully redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class model equipped with the second-generation MBUX featuring AR navigation and biometric recognition, priced similarly to domestic mid-size sedans. Additionally, the company plans to unveil the fully redesigned seventh-generation S-Class.

BMW's strategy is to strengthen its high-performance M lineup to accelerate its penetration into the Korean market. The M brand recorded a 53% growth in the domestic market last year, showing explosive growth. BMW introduced various M performance models last year, including the M235i, M340i Touring, and M550i. Following the launch of the new M440i Coupe last month, BMW plans to release a total of seven M models this year, including the new M3, new M4, and new M135i. The total number of BMW M models available for purchase in Korea is expected to increase to 34.

Electric vehicles, which are attracting global attention, will also be introduced to the domestic market along with the expansion of various infrastructures. Mercedes-Benz plans to launch the pure electric EQA, based on the compact SUV GLA model, and the production version EQS of the Vision EQS concept car unveiled in 2019 within this year. To expand the domestic electric vehicle infrastructure, Mercedes-Benz will also expand EQ-exclusive service centers nationwide. BMW plans to release a total of 13 pure electric vehicles, including the iX4, future iX, and pure electric iX3. Additionally, electric versions of the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series will be launched, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be expanded.