Kia outsells Hyundai Motor and Genesis combined for first time

Kia outsold Hyundai Motor and Genesis combined in South Korea's domestic passenger car market in the first half of this year — the first time the brand has achieved that milestone. Analysts say Kia's presence in the home market within Hyundai Motor Group is growing stronger.

According to new-registration data by brand from the Kaizu Data Research Institute released Monday, Kia registered 268,868 passenger vehicles from January through June. Over the same period, Hyundai Motor recorded 217,962 units and Genesis 47,824 units, bringing their combined total to 265,786 — leaving Kia ahead by 3,082 units.

It is the first time Kia has surpassed the combined registration count of Hyundai Motor and Genesis on a first-half basis since the data began being compiled. The two brands had consistently outpaced Kia on a combined basis. Last year, Kia registered 506,514 units, but Hyundai Motor (473,158 units) and Genesis (118,815 units) together tallied 591,973 — some 85,459 more than Kia.

The trend shifted this year. Kia's RV-focused lineup — led by the Sorento, Sportage and Carnival — held the top spots and drove registration numbers higher. In the first-half rankings by model, the Sorento topped the domestic passenger car chart with 56,367 units, while the Sportage and Carnival also cracked the top five with 31,994 and 31,143 units, respectively.

Hyundai Motor, by contrast, leaned on its sedan lineup — the Grandeur and Sonata — but saw registrations fall year-on-year for some of its SUV models. A factory fire at Daejeon Anjeon Industrial in March also disrupted production. Although the fallout was largely resolved by June, the roughly six-week disruption in output for certain models weighed on first-half sales.

Genesis also struggled, with first-half registrations limited to 47,824 units — a 24.0 percent drop from the same period last year — as softening luxury demand combined with an aging model lineup. Analysts also cited declining export sales in some regions, including the Middle East, and a lack of new-model momentum as additional drags on Hyundai Motor Group's overall sales performance.

Kia's strength reflects not only its single-brand competitiveness but also a broader shift in domestic demand away from sedans and toward SUVs and RVs. Kia captured that trend with popular models including the Sorento, Sportage, Carnival and Seltos. Its electric vehicle lineup — including the EV3 and EV5 — also contributed to the registration growth.

In the first-half domestic passenger car brand rankings, Kia led with 268,868 units, followed by Hyundai Motor at 217,962 units and Genesis at 47,824 units. Renault Korea came in fourth with 21,428 units, KGM fifth with 20,003 units and Chevrolet sixth with 5,144 units.

"Kia broke its own first-half sales record despite slowing global new-car demand, driven by an expanding EV and hybrid lineup," said Moon Yong-kwon, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities. "While its quarterly sales volume is around 200,000 units below Hyundai Motor's, Kia's quarterly operating profit has exceeded Hyundai Motor's automotive division operating profit since the third quarter of 2024."

kwater@heraldcorp.com