Tesla and Volvo keep up sales growth in Korea whereas other imports flounder

[Photo provided by Tesla]

Tesla and Volvo are making fast inroads in the South Korea due to their appeal in EV identity and reliability amid stagnated performance by other import car brands like Volkswagen, Ford, Jaguar, and Land Rover.

According to CarIsYou, an automobile data lab, on Monday, Tesla ranked No. 4 in Korea’s import car market with 17,828 vehicles newly registered last year. Its sales surged 50.8 percent from a year ago.

The EV brand which joined the Korean market in 2017 edged out Volvo and Volkswagen to move up two notches from No. 6 in 2020.

Volvo sold 15,056 units last year for 5th place in the import car market. The German brand has kept up double-digit growth for the last 10 years.

Volkswagen is yet to pull out of the slump from diesel emission scandal of 2016 and 2017. Sales totaled 14,369 units last year, more than halved from 35,778 units in 2015.

[Photo provided by Volvo]

Ford and Jaguar and Land Rover also have been underperforming their heydays.

Ford sold 6,885 units last year versus 11,586 units in 2018. Jaguar and Land Rover sold 3,558 units, compared with 15,473 units in 2018.

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