South Korean media report that Chinese car sales have surpassed those of Japanese vehicles—does this constitute a "gear change" in the automotive race?

Korean Media: Chinese Cars Surpass Japanese Vehicles in South Korea’s Import Car Market

According to a report by JoongAng Ilbo (Japanese edition) on October 23, Chinese vehicles recorded cumulative sales exceeding those of Japanese cars for the first time in the first nine months (January–September) of this year in South Korea’s import car market. Chinese-made vehicles have risen to third place in import car sales rankings, following Germany and the United States.

Data released by the Korea Automotive Importers Association (KAIDA) on the 23rd show that new vehicle registrations by origin from January to September totaled: Germany 121,932 units, the United States 91,857 units, China 20,186 units, and Japan 20,177 units.

This marks the first time since records began that Chinese vehicles have surpassed Japanese counterparts in cumulative sales from January to September. Earlier this year, in April, monthly sales of Chinese cars reached 2,023 units, slightly surpassing Japan’s 1,974 units.

Currently, the Chinese passenger car brands officially sold in South Korea are BYD and Zeekr. From January to September, cumulative registrations amounted to 20,137 units for BYD and 49 units for Zeekr. The low registration figure for Zeekr reflects pre-launch test drive data collected by its local subsidiary and dealers prior to full-scale commercial rollout.

During the same period, new vehicle registrations for Japanese brands totaled: Lexus 11,197 units, Toyota 8,513 units, and Honda 467 units.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879820252383242/

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