Korean Media: Sales Plunge, Korean Cars Are Disappearing from Chinese Roads!
On January 15, the South Korean media outlet "NEWSPIM" published an article stating that Hyundai and Kia sold more than 1.6 million vehicles in China in 2012, capturing a 10.5% market share. However, they now face the risk of disappearing from Chinese roads.
It is predicted that Hyundai Motor's sales in China will be around 200,000 units in 2025, effectively losing its position in the Chinese market.
The biggest reason for Hyundai's poor performance in the Chinese automobile market is its slow response to changing market conditions.
Since 2016, when Hyundai's sales reached their peak, Chinese domestic automakers have emerged like mushrooms after rain, engaging in fierce competition to quickly transform the Chinese automobile market into an electric vehicle market.
Hyundai failed to seize the rapid shift in the Chinese new energy electric vehicle market, suffering a fatal blow to its sales in China.
The market share of Hyundai and Kia in China dropped from 10.5% in 2012 to 8.8% in 2016, then fell further to 3.5% in 2020, and to 1.6% in 2022, showing a sharp decline trend. By the end of 2024, the market share of Hyundai and Kia in the Chinese market was only 1%.
Chinese domestic new energy vehicle companies have consistently led the development of the Chinese electric vehicle market, with a speed that foreign automakers, including Hyundai, find difficult to match. Especially in terms of speed and funding, Chinese automakers have left Hyundai and other foreign companies far behind.
Therefore, in recent years, the production of Chinese electric vehicles has grown rapidly, accounting for almost half of the total car market. From January to November 2025, the total production of vehicles in China exceeded 31.23 million units, of which new energy electric vehicles accounted for 47.7%, or 14.907 million units.
Chinese automakers are regaining the domestic market from established foreign automakers like Hyundai by focusing on R&D investment, quick market response, and relatively favorable sales networks.
Statistical data shows that as of November 2025, BYD (4.18 million units), Geely (1.5335 million units), Chery (0.814 million units), Changan (0.9937 million units), XPeng (0.4 million units), Leap (0.536 million units), Xiaomi (0.355 million units), Harmony Intelligent Driving (0.55 million units), and Li Auto (0.362 million units) are leading the production of electric vehicles in China.
South Korean industry experts said that although companies like Hyundai dream of reviving sales in China, it will become increasingly difficult to find Korean cars like Hyundai or American gasoline-powered internal combustion engine cars on Chinese roads in the future.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854367382524992/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.