Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Once Upon a Farm Raises Nearly $198 Million in IPO, Valued at Over $724 Million 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
SpaceX Pushes for Early Stock Index Inclusion Ahead of Potential Record-Breaking IPO 
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or BMW, is focusing on some markets for its business, and one of its targets is South Korea. The German luxury carmaker is also expanding its sales further in the country after Mercedes-Benz snatched its crown as the bestselling foreign vehicle brand in the region.
BMW wants to reclaim the top spot from Mercedes Benz and become the bestselling imported automaker in the Korean market once again. The brand had the title for almost a decade before the Stuttgart, Germany-headquartered rival took over.
In the latest update, Korea Joongang Daily reported that through its efforts to boost sales more, BMW is now catching up quickly and may reclaim the top position soon. To achieve this, the company has been rapidly expanding its sales in South Korea through aggressive investment and stepping up its after-sale service to repair its reputation grazed by the string of fire incidents in 2018.
The company was able to sell about 12,470 vehicle units in the region within just the first two months of this year. Based on the data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (Kaida), this number shows an 11.3% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
The total sales also illustrate a notable difference from Mercedes Benz, that only sold 8,419 units in the same period. The company failed to beat the latter last year by a slight margin as Mercedes secured a 27.7% share of the imported auto market in Korea. This was a 10% increase for the automaker compared to its 2019 record.
In any case, BMW is closing in and has started growing at a fast rate again the country. This is said to be due to the brand’s top-selling Series 5 sedans. Since November 2022, the BMW 520 sedan has been continuously selling well and recognized as the most beloved imported car, overtaking Mercedes-Benz’s best-seller unit - the E250.
Meanwhile, Pulse News reported that more than five out of 10 foreign cars sold in Korea were either BMW or Mercedes-Benz. They topped the market, leaving out other brands that were previously the best-sellers in the country, such as Audi.
Photo by: Philippe Oursel/Unsplash
