Sales of three luxury German carmakers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi --set a record high of 8.8 trillion won ($7.6 billion) in sales last year, exceeding the combined figures of three smaller Korean automakers, excluding Hyundai and Kia, company data showed Thursday.

Among foreign car brands here, sales of Mercedes-Benz were tops last year, soaring up to a record high of 3.1 trillion won in 2015, a 42.5 percent increase from a year ago.


BMW and Audi followed with a 2.88 trillion won and 2.8 trillion won, respectively.

Audi, hit by the “diesel emissions” scandal of Volkswagen Group, was an underdog, as its sales ranking among foreign car brands fell to third from the top spot last year.

Meanwhile, sales of the three German luxury carmakers exceeded those of smaller three Korean carmakers-GM Korea, Ssangyong Motor, Renault Samsung, for the first time, companies’ sales figures showed. The combined sales of the three Korean carmakers stood at 7.2 trillion won in 2015.

“The sales gap between the two parties will deepen this year this year, with three German carmakers strengthening their expensive car lineup this year,” said an official from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)