Five Domestic Automakers Sell 668,991 Units Globally in November
Hyundai and Kia See Declines in Domestic and Overseas Sales
Mid-Sized Trio Struggle with Weak Domestic Demand
On December 1, it was tallied that the global sales volume of the five domestic automakers in November 2025 reached 668,991 units, marking a 3.8% decrease compared to the same month last year.
In overseas markets, the surge of low-priced Chinese vehicles in Europe, India, and China intensified competition, while in the United States, the end of electric vehicle tax credits led to a slowdown in sales. The domestic market also saw weakened consumer demand due to the exhaustion of electric vehicle subsidies and the economic downturn. Despite the implementation of the "Korea Sale Festa," the Korean equivalent of Black Friday, there was no sign of recovery.
In October, the five domestic automakers recorded a total of 115,933 units in domestic sales, a 6.2% decrease from the previous year, and 552,138 units in overseas sales, down 3.4%. While Hyundai Motor and Kia saw declines in both domestic and overseas monthly sales, exports from the three mid-sized companies increased slightly. However, this was not enough to offset the sluggish domestic sales, resulting in an overall downward trend.
First, Hyundai Motor's global sales in November 2025 totaled 349,507 units, a 2.4% decrease from the same month last year.
For the month of November, domestic sales amounted to 61,008 units and overseas sales to 288,499 units. Compared to the same period last year, domestic sales dropped by 3.4% and overseas sales by 2.2%.
Kia also sold 47,256 units domestically, 213,889 units overseas, and 920 special-purpose vehicles last month, totaling 262,065 units. This represents a 0.8% decrease in global sales compared to the same period last year, with domestic sales down 1.6% and overseas sales down 0.8%.
The Sportage was the best-selling model with 49,351 units, followed by the Sorento with 25,282 units and the Seltos with 22,293 units.
KGM's exports increased by 5.6% year-on-year to 5,080 units, but domestic sales fell by 5.7% to 3,121 units.
By model, sales of eco-friendly vehicles such as the Korando (1,163 units), Torres EVX (853 units), Torres Hybrid (675 units), Musso EV (497 units), and Actyon Hybrid (280 units) increased, showing an upward trend.
Renault Korea raised expectations for export growth as the number of Polestar 4 units, produced under contract at the Busan plant for export to Canada, was added starting this month.
Renault Korea recorded a total of 4,649 units in global sales in November 2025, with 3,575 units sold domestically and 1,074 units exported. Domestic sales dropped by 51% compared to the same month last year, with the majority of sales coming from the mid-size SUV Grand Koleos.
In November, Renault Korea's exports were also mostly Renault brand models, including 421 units of the Grand Koleos (export name: New Renault Koleos) and 349 units of the Arkana. In addition, shipments of 304 units of the Polestar 4, a premium electric performance SUV from Swedish brand Polestar, began to Canada, pushing total exports above 1,000 units.
Korea GM, which had reduced exports through last month due to uncertainty over U.S. tariffs, sold 43,799 units in the global market in November, returning to the 40,000-unit level. However, domestic sales remained sluggish, falling below 1,000 units to 973 units.
Korea GM's overseas sales reached 42,826 units, down 10% year-on-year but up 11% from the previous month. Domestic sales for November totaled just 973 units, a 46% decrease from the same month last year and an 18.5% drop from the previous month.
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