Mercedes-Benz eyes bigger share in S. Korea on new models

SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Yonhap) -- Mercedes-Benz Korea said on Tuesday it will introduce several new and upgraded models this year to gain a bigger share of South Korea's passenger vehicle market.

In 2020, the German luxury carmaker plans to launch nine new and six facelifted models, including ones from sub-brands EQ, Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach, to cement its leading status here, the company said in a statement.

It has achieved a stellar performance in South Korea since 2018, while its competitors such as BMW and Japanese brands have struggled with weak sales due, respectively, to the lingering impact of a series of engine fires, mainly in the BMW 520d sedan, and ongoing trade tensions with Japan.

In 2019, the company's sales jumped 10 percent to 78,133 vehicles from 70,798 units a year earlier helped by strong sales of the E-Class sedan. During the same period, overall imported vehicle sales fell 6.1 percent to 244,780 from 260,705, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA).

Three out of 10 imported passenger cars sold in South Korea last year were Mercedes-Benz models, KAIDA said.

In October, Mercedes-Benz began to sell the EQC 400 4MATIC SUV, the first pure electric SUV available in the Korean market, as well as three plug-in hybrid models.

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