At the end of the year, various car brands also came up with their own report cards. In this article, we will rate them based on the performance of various brands in the Korean market. See who performs best and who does the worst.
[1] Kia A+: Kia's younger brother defeats Hyundai's brother
Hyundai and Kia, although they are one company, within the group, Kia has always been a younger brother, and Hyundai Motor is an older brother. However, in 2021, The market performance of Kia is stronger than that of modern times. After Kia launched the K5 last year, the new Jawa. This year Kia Sorento, Sport run, K8 three best-selling models, even threatened the dominance of hyundai cars.
The Sportage was Kia's hottest model this year, with 16,078 first-day bookings, surpassing rival Hyundai Tucson's record (1,842). And in November 2021, it became the first time in 17 years that it became the top of the monthly bestseller list.
The K8 also continues to threaten the status of modern Yazun. On the first day of sales, the contract record (18,015 units) surpassed the Yazun's revamp (17,294 units), setting a record for the largest number of contracts among Hyundai Motor Group cars. In August, the monthly sales exceeded that of Yazun for the first time in three years, maintaining a stable trend of about 4,000 units per month.
The EV6, the first dedicated electric vehicle, was also well received. It expands consumer choice with longer mileage than IONIQ 5 and two designs. While there are stable shipments of about 3,000 units per month, production is still so tight that even if we shrink now, shipments next year won't stagnate.
Based on this positive trend, Kia beat Hyundai in July to top the sales charts in South Korea. While the stable sales of K5, Kahua and other stable sales support its performance, the impact of new cars such as K8 and Sporting Away is also quite significant.
[2] Hyundai Motor A: Diversified product lineup
Hyundai Motor will continue to diversify its products in the local market in 2021 and enter various market segments. It has also won good reviews from consumers.
In the first half of this year, the ambitious IONIQ 5 was released. As the first dedicated electric vehicle to be used on the E-GMP platform, it demonstrates that electric vehicles are based on ample interior space, V2L and ultra-fast charging technology. Due to the instability of supply and demand, the specific release date has not yet been determined, but the cumulative sales volume in South Korea has exceeded 20,000 units and continues to sell well.
The subsequent release of the MPV Staria was well received for its unconventional design and ample interior space. However, the monthly sales of 3,000 vehicles are only half that of Kia Jawa.
The Elantra N and Kona N are considered promising models among the high-performance N brands. In addition to the more powerful 2.0-liter petrol turbo engine, a dedicated interface and app have been introduced to provide fun beyond driving. Communication with customers was also excellent, with an N-brand outlet in the heart of Seoul.
Casper made an uproar in the Korean automotive industry in the second half of the year. Because it is hyundai's first small car launched in 19 years, more than 18,000 contracts have been signed in one day, marking the recovery of the small car market.
[3] Geniseis B+: a korean high-end brand that has gradually improved
The Geniseis brand launched three new models in 2021: the G80 Sport, the Electric Vehicle Model (EV) and the GV60. From entry-level cars to electric vehicles, high-performance cars, and flagship cars, we are building a lineup of luxury brands.
The G80, in particular, has only added two derivative lineups this year, further cementing its position. The G80 Sport, which features rear-wheel steering and start control, shows a high-performance side.
The GV60 was also praised for its differentiated positioning with the hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The main selling point is that facial recognition methods enter the car, and the powertrain can also be upgraded by OTA.
However, Genises also has regrets, that is, the current naming rules for fuel vehicles and pure electric vehicles are relatively chaotic, and there is a lack of best-selling pure electric vehicles. The G80 launched this year is an oil-to-electricity model, and future sales are likely to be average. The GV60 is a dedicated electric vehicle and it seems difficult to find a connection to the GV70 or GV80.
[4] SsangYong Automobile B: Live for survival
2021 The turbulent brand is SsangYong Motors, and the only model that Ssangyong Cars is currently counting on is the Rexton Sport. It is a pickup truck model about the size of the Great Wall Gun. Since other Korean brands do not produce pickup trucks, only this SsangYong car has some sales.
This year, due to the liquidity problem of SsangYong Automobile, some suppliers refused to supply parts, and there was a shortage of semiconductor supply and demand, and the factory had to shut down again. In addition, as part of the normalization of management, the production speed is slow due to the rotation of employees. According to SsangYong Motors, the backlog of inventory as of December still exceeded 4,000 units.
So in 2022, the most important thing for SsangYong Automobile is to find a reliable buyer and then reorganize the company.
[5] Renault Samsung C+: Sales of new models are dismal
Renault Samsung only released a redesign of the XM3, SM6 and other two models in 2021, and since they are not replacement models, sales are mediocre.
The redesigned XM3 introduced an in-car payment system that enabled in-car shopping and payment, and since then, Renault Samsung has also applied the Over-the-Air Update (OTA) feature, but this feature is not new.
SM6 enhances price competitiveness and strengthens connectivity. When airbag deployment is detected, security support call services for emergency rescue reporting and incident handling are implemented through a 24-hour call center, and the performance of easy Connect services based on LTE communication is improved. In addition, the price of the new car is reduced by up to 1.37 million won (7,325 yuan) compared to the existing model.
However, the market response of sm6 is average, and the monthly sales volume is still less than 1,000 units.
In 2022, Renault Samsung will also make changes. At present, Renault Samsung Group plans to entrust the joint venture between Renault Group and Geely Holdings to Renault Samsung to produce hybrid vehicles based on Lynk & Co. So next year Samsung car or there will be a big development.
[6] GM Korea F: Not a single new car, various fire recalls continue
GM Korea is heavily influenced by bolt EVs and Bolt EUV. No new cars were launched in 2021, and due to spontaneous fire and spontaneous combustion of bolt Evs and Bolt EUV, recalls were made, and all scheduled contracts were cancelled.
The reason for this is a battery made by LG Energy Solution. It has been reported that the battery anode terminal lugs may break and the diaphragm folds, and production was suspended due to manufacturing defects in some batteries produced at factories other than the Wukura plant in Chungcheongbukō Province. To this end, LG alone is estimated to have paid 1.4 trillion won (7.485 billion yuan) in compensation to GM alone, exceeding expectations.
To this end, the release of the new car, which was scheduled for August, was postponed to the first half of next year. GM received the improved battery pack, re-produced it, and plans to resume sales in South Korea as soon as supply is sufficient. In addition, existing Bolt EVs are also preparing to be recalled with improved batteries. The recall also damaged GM's brand image in terms of marketing.