Staria Pre-Orders Surpass 10,000 Units on First Day... Will It Break Carnival's Dominance?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] The multipurpose vehicle (MPV) market, where the Kia Carnival has established a stronghold, is buzzing with the effect of new car launches. Hyundai Motor Company's new MPV Staria, released after 22 years, recorded over 10,000 pre-orders on the first day, drawing attention to whether the newly emerging MPVs can create cracks in the established dominance.

According to Hyundai Motor on the 26th, the number of pre-orders for the Staria nationwide through dealerships on the first day, starting from the 25th, was counted at 11,003 units. This figure surpasses the pre-order records of representative compact sedans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) such as the Avante (10,058 units) and Tucson (10,842 units).

Although this record for the Staria does not reach the first-day pre-order record of the 4th generation Carnival, which dominates the MPV market with 23,006 units, it is close to one-third of the previous model Starex’s annual sales last year (36,190 units).

In the Korean MPV market, the Kia Carnival has long maintained a dominant position. Last year, the total domestic sales volume of the Kia Carnival was 64,195 units, nearly twice that of the Starex, which was previously classified as a small commercial vehicle. The monthly sales volume also shows the Carnival’s overwhelming lead. In the last month alone, the Carnival sold 6,153 units, more than four times the Starex’s 1,368 units, which is classified as a small commercial vehicle. Imported MPV models such as the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna had annual sales of less than 500 units last year, making it difficult for them to make a significant impact.

Accordingly, Hyundai Motor applied intelligent safety technology as standard across all Staria models for the first time in the company’s history and enhanced product appeal with the ‘Inside Out’ theme, reminiscent of a spaceship.

Meanwhile, Japanese brands, which experienced sales contraction last year due to the Korea-Japan trade dispute and other factors, are preparing to re-enter the MPV market. Honda launched the 2021 model ‘New Odyssey’ last month, and Toyota plans to release the Sienna Hybrid next month.