Seoul, Nov 16 (IANS) Sales of mini cars by South Korea’s five automakers are expected to remain below 100,000 units for a second consecutive year in 2025, industry data showed on Sunday, amid a lack of new models and shifting consumer preferences.

From January to October, the five carmakers — Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Korea Motors and KG Mobility Corp. — sold a combined 60,004 mini cars, down 27.3 percent from 82,485 units a year earlier, according to their sales data.

If the trend continues, annual mini car sales are expected to come in at around 70,000 units this year, marking a record-low level, reports Yonhap news agency.

GM Korea halted production of its Chevrolet Spark last year, pulling total annual mini car sales below 100,000 units for the first time, to 98,743 vehicles, the data showed.

Mini car models currently available in the domestic market include Hyundai Motor’s Casper and Kia’s Ray and Morning.

The downward trend appears to stem from a shortage of new mini car models, delays in upcoming launches, and growing consumer preference for small sport utility vehicles (SUVs) amid rising demand for outdoor leisure activities, such as camping and fishing.

“Mini car sales are expected to remain sluggish as no new models are scheduled for release for the time being,” an industry official said.

In contrast, demand for mini cars remains robust in the used-car market amid a prolonged economic slowdown.

In third-quarter used-car sales rankings, Kia’s Morning ranked first, followed by GM’s Spark in second and Kia’s Ray in fourth, according to auto industry tracker Carisyou.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s three midsized carmakers have posted sluggish domestic sales through the third quarter of 2025, falling behind major foreign brands amid a lack of new models, data showed

The combined domestic sales of Renault Korea Motors, KG Mobility Corp. and GM Korea Co. came to 82,464 units as of September, according to the data compiled by auto industry tracker Carisyou, raising concerns that their annual sales may barely hover around 100,000 units this year, marking a record low.

The three carmakers’ total domestic sales stood at 109,101 units in 2024.

—IANS

na/