The automaker has enjoyed a robust start to 2025, with sales up 58% in the first quarter versus the same period of last year
[SEOUL] BYD plans to increase its sales network in South Korea, a car market dominated by local brands Hyundai Motor and Kia, as it pushes for more deliveries outside its home stronghold of China.
“We will increase our sales network to 30 by end of this year from 15 to meet demand from Korean consumers,” Liu Xueliang, the general manager of BYD’s Asia-Pacific auto sales division, said at the Seoul Mobility Show in Ilsan city on Thursday (Apr 3).
BYD has not been in the South Korean market for very long. It only debuted its passenger brand of cars in January when it officially launched its Atto three electric sport utility vehicle. While the Chinese giant is known for its aggressive marketing and pricing strategies, it’s up against strong competition from incumbents – Hyundai and Kia sold some 1.2 million cars in Korea last year for a 75 per cent market share.
At the show on Thursday, BYD introduced its Seal mid-sized sedan, with a price starting from 47,500,000 won (S$43,570), excluding subsidies. BYD’s booth at the Seoul Mobility Show was one of the largest and showiest.
BYD also showcased a range of its other models to consumers and the press, displaying a total of six vehicles.
The Shenzhen-based automaker has enjoyed a robust start to 2025, with sales up 58 per cent in the first quarter versus the same period of last year.
Over the course of the past month, BYD has delivered a series of product releases that have generated a huge amount of buzz, including smart driving technology for most of its models at no extra cost and an ultra-fast charging system that can add 400 km of range in just five minutes.
It’s set a goal of selling around 5.5 million vehicles this year, 800,000 from exports. BLOOMBERG
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