[Provided by K Car]
[Provided by K Car]

Consumer interest in low-mileage, newer used vehicles has risen since the government's temporary individual consumption tax cut on automobiles expired.

Used-car platform K Car said Friday that an analysis of search data from its app and website showed queries filtered to vehicles with fewer than 40,000 kilometers rose 24.2 percent from the previous month. Searches set to under 30,000 km and under 20,000 km climbed 16.3 percent and 14.9 percent, respectively, while those filtered to under 10,000 km grew by just 5.6 percent.

A similar trend emerged in model-year searches. Queries for 2023 models and newer rose 13.8 percent month-on-month, those for 2024 and newer increased 12.7 percent, and searches for 2022 and newer were up 12.0 percent. By contrast, searches for 2025 and newer and for 2026 models fell 8.5 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.

The shift appears to reflect higher new-car prices following the expiration of the excise tax reduction. Rather than the very latest model years, buyers seem to be gravitating toward two-to-four-year-old used vehicles that offer competitive pricing relative to new cars while still being in good condition.

"Consumers are no longer simply looking for the newest model year — they are comparing listings that strike a good balance between price and vehicle condition, focusing on low model years and low mileage," said Cho Eun-hyeong, an analyst at K Car's product management team. "Checking not only the model year and mileage but also accident and maintenance history and warranty coverage will help buyers make a more informed choice."


klee@heraldcorp.com