Korean Car Sales Stabilize in China; 2026 EV Strategy Crucial

In 2025, Korean-branded vehicles are showing signs of recovery in the Chinese market. Beijing Hyundai sold approximately 210,000 units, up 14.8% year-on-year, while Yueda Kia achieved sales of 254,000 units, stabilizing its overall trajectory and halting a years-long decline. Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, stated that improving China-South Korea relations would benefit the group’s operations in China. Currently, Korean automakers are catching their breath primarily thanks to export support and reliance on internal combustion engine (ICE) models. Both Beijing Hyundai and Yueda Kia have significantly ramped up exports, collectively shipping over 500,000 vehicles to markets across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. Meanwhile, ICE models such as the Elantra and Kustu remain competitive in China’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Although Korean brands have not yet truly “staged a comeback,” their downward trend has clearly slowed. In 2026, whether they can leverage new energy vehicle (NEV) strategies to achieve a breakthrough will be critical to their future success in China.