German automaker Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) snatched the crown back from Mercedes-Benz as the top foreign car brand by sales in South Korea in April, led by brisk sales of its steady sellers including its flagship model 3 Series.

According to Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) on Wednesday, BMW sold 6,334 vehicles in April, becoming the best car seller in the Korean import auto market. It reclaimed its top position in the market for the first time in four months since it conceded to anther German car maker Mercedes-Benz in January.

Robust sales were driven by rising demand for BWM’s long-time favorite models such as the 3 Series and Gran Turismo (GT). BMW sold a total of 1,569 units of the 3 Series in April, up 42 percent from 1,104 in the previous month. The surge came as BMW offered big promotions last month such as interest-free installment plans ahead of price hikes in its main models including the 3 Series. Sales of BMW’s new 5 Series, however, decreased more than 25 percent to 1,370 units over the same period.

Mercedes-Benz Korea was the No. 2 foreign car seller last month after selling 5,758 units, lower than 6,737 vehicles in the previous month. The automaker blamed a shortage in shipments of popular models C-Class, E-Class and GLC sport utility vehicle for the on-month drop.

When it comes to cumulative sales from January to April, Mercedes-Benz delivered 24,877 units, far ahead of BMW with 18,115 units. BMW and Mercedes-Benz accounted for combined 60.31 percent in total import car sales in Korea last month. It was the first time their total sales surpassed 60 percent in the entire Korean import car market, KAIDA said.

Other German premium automakers Volkswagen and Audi failed to sell a single car last month after the local government canceled their sales licenses earlier. Audi Volkswagen Korea is currently preparing to apply again for government license to sell its high-performance S3 sedan to resume sale in the Korean market.

In April, overall import car sales in Korea jumped 12.4 percent from a year ago, which is a stark contrast to a 5 percent drop in combined domestic car sales of five Korean auto makers over the same period, according to KAIDA.

By Park Chang-young

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]