Korean Media: BYD's Sealion 7 Surpasses Mercedes and Audi to Join Korea's Top Four Imported Electric Vehicle Brands!

On April 13, Korean media outlet The Korea Economic Daily published an article stating that the surge from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has already begun reshaping the landscape of imported electric vehicles in South Korea.

According to the February 2026 import passenger vehicle registration statistics released by the Korea Automobile Importers Association, BYD’s mid-size electric SUV, Sealion 7, sold 621 units, ranking fourth among imported pure electric vehicle models. Its sales surpassed those of the Audi Q4 e-tron (588 units) and the Mercedes EQA (150 units).

Although there remains a significant gap between BYD and Tesla Model Y—the absolute market leader with 7,015 units—BYD has dramatically narrowed the gap with the second-ranked BMW i5 (1,302 units) and third-ranked Tesla Model 3 (827 units). This indicates that BYD has rapidly emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the import EV market long dominated by Tesla.

With oil prices soaring due to the Middle East crisis, demand for electric vehicles has surged. The spotlight now focuses on how BYD will leverage its “value-for-money” proposition to capture this growing market share. The Sealion 7, BYD’s flagship model, is priced at approximately 40 million KRW after subsidies.

Thanks to the strong performance of the Sealion 7, BYD’s market share in South Korea is steadily increasing. In the February rankings of imported car brand registrations, BYD secured 957 registrations, placing seventh—surpassing major European brands such as Volkswagen (600 units), Polestar (243 units), and Peugeot (79 units)—and closing in on Audi (991 units).

With the upcoming launch of the new Sealion and plug-in hybrid models, BYD’s momentum in the Korean market is expected to strengthen further.

A source in the automotive industry predicted: “Some South Korean consumers who previously held negative views toward Chinese cars are gradually shifting toward pragmatic purchasing decisions after experiencing real driving reviews and witnessing the expansion of after-sales service infrastructure. If BYD can break into the ‘10,000-unit annual sales club,’ psychological resistance linked to 'Made in China' may begin to fade.”

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862341184553156/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.