Which imported car models were Korea’s best sellers in October?

The Tesla Model Y Premium ranked first, followed by the Mercedes-Benz E200 and Tesla Model 3. The two Tesla models were manufactured in China for the Korean market, enabling competitive pricing.

Why did Tesla’s October sales in Korea fall from September despite strong year-on-year growth?

Tesla sold 9,165 vehicles in October, more than double the 4,350 sold a year earlier, but sales declined 25.9 percent from the previous month because of supply shortages, according to KAIDA.

What share of imported vehicle registrations in Korea were electric or hybrid in October?

Fully electric vehicles accounted for 46.4 percent of registrations, or 14,424 units, while hybrids accounted for 45.9 percent. Gasoline vehicles made up 6.8 percent and diesel vehicles 0.9 percent.

Imported vehicle sales jump 29.3% in Oct. on strong EV demand

Listen

Summary

Imported vehicle registrations in Korea rose 29.3 percent year on year to 31,117 units in October, driven by strong electric vehicle demand. Tesla sold 9,165 vehicles, more than double its year-earlier total, and remained Korea’s best-selling imported passenger car brand for a ninth consecutive month. The Tesla Model Y Premium, Mercedes-Benz E200 and Tesla Model 3 were the top-selling imported models.

Key Facts

The Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association reported 31,117 new imported vehicle registrations in October, compared with 24,064 a year earlier.
Tesla’s October sales fell 25.9 percent from the previous month because of supply shortages, the association said.
BYD Korea sales increased 93.4 percent year on year to 1,594 vehicles from 824.
Fully electric vehicles accounted for 14,424 registrations, or 46.4 percent of the total; hybrids made up 45.9 percent, gasoline vehicles 6.8 percent and diesel vehicles 0.9 percent.
Volkswagen Group Korea, BMW Group Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea sold a combined 14,556 vehicles, up 8.3 percent from 13,441 a year earlier; German brands represented about 47 percent of imported vehicle sales.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 4, 2026 3:53 pm KST

An electric vehicle charging station in Seoul / Yonhap

Sales of imported vehicles in Korea rose a sharp 29.3 percent in October from a year earlier, driven by robust demand for electric vehicles (EVs), industry data showed Wednesday.

New registrations increased to 31,117 units last month from 24,064 a year earlier, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA).

The three top-selling imported cars were the Tesla Model Y Premium, Mercedes-Benz E200 and Tesla Model 3. The two Tesla models are manufactured in China for the Korean market, allowing the company to offer them at competitive prices.

Tesla's sales more than doubled to 9,165 units last month from 4,350 a year earlier. However, its sales fell 25.9 percent from the previous month due to supply shortages, KAIDA said.

The U.S. EV maker remained the best-selling imported passenger car brand in Korea for the ninth consecutive month, extending its run since February.

Sales by BYD Korea, the local unit of China's BYD, surged 93.4 percent to 1,594 units from 824 a year earlier. The company began local operations in January last year, with sales first reported in March.

By powertrain, fully electric vehicles accounted for 46.4 percent of total registrations, or 14,424 units, followed by hybrid vehicles at 45.9 percent, gasoline-powered vehicles at 6.8 percent and diesel vehicles at 0.9 percent.

Three German automakers — Volkswagen Group Korea, BMW Group Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea — sold a combined 14,556 vehicles in October, up a respectable 8.3 percent from 13,441 a year earlier.

German brands accounted for about 47 percent of imported vehicle sales in Korea last month.

Explore More