Mercedes-Benz overtakes BMW to rank second in imported car sales

Mercedes-Benz overtook BMW to become South Korea's second-best-selling imported car brand, marking a shift in the two leading German premium automakers' rankings.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, imported passenger car registrations totaled 31,117 units in October, up 29.3 percent from a year earlier but down 10.8 percent from the previous month. January-October registrations reached 310,846 units, exceeding the 2025 full-year total of 307,377.

Tesla registered 9,165 vehicles, retaining the top spot. The Model Y Premium was the best-selling imported model with 5,501 units, followed by the Model 3 with 2,199. Tesla's cumulative sales reached 98,313 units, up 105 percent from the same period last year.

Mercedes-Benz recorded 6,744 registrations, up 23.1 percent from the previous month and 15.5 percent from a year earlier. BMW ranked third with 5,633 units. The Mercedes-Benz E 200 was the second-best-selling imported model with 2,836 units, while total E-Class sales reached 3,669.

The October increase came amid new model sales and the introduction of its Retail of the Future direct-sales system in April. Under the system, Mercedes-Benz Korea manages prices and inventory, while 11 official partners sell vehicles under uniform terms. The company will begin delivering new electric vehicle models in November.

BMW, despite ranking third in October, maintained its lead over Mercedes-Benz in cumulative sales, with 63,562 registrations from January to October, compared with Mercedes-Benz's 49,993.

Volvo ranked fourth in October with 1,682 units, followed by BYD with 1,594 and Lexus with 1,346.

Imported electric vehicles accounted for 14,424 registrations, or 46.4 percent of the total. Hybrid vehicles made up 45.9 percent.