Diesel sedans enjoy popularity
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| Hyundai Motor’s Avante |
Based on article from Korea Times Oct 27, 2013
Hyundai Motor’s diesel engine version of the Avante compact sedan made a successful debut in the local market, which is expected to lead to the introduction of more diesel-powered sedans by local brands here.
Hyundai’s diesel Avante has drawn much attention, as it can be a litmus test to see whether local diesel sedans can be successful, and the result is very encouraging.
Avante became the best-selling compact sedan here in August, thanks to its diesel variant.
Hyundai sold a total of 9,148 Avantes in September alone, up 16 percent from the previous month, making it the best-selling vehicle in the Korean market.
Hyundai officials believe that the sales increase is attributable to the launch of the new diesel model, as the portion of diesel Avantes in terms of total sales stood at 13 percent.
“The (sales) increase was due to the diesel model,” an official from the firm said. “Customer groups of the two Avante models do not seem to overlap, meaning the diesel version has created new customers.”
He said the diesel model is preferred by younger male drivers in their 20s and 30s.
With the growing popularity of the diesel-powered Avante, Hyundai recently added a premium version which has more luxury and convenience features. Previously, there were three variants of the diesel model, depending on options.
This is seen as an effort to compete with diesel sedans from imported brands.
The diesel sedan market has been growing significantly in the past few years but dominated by imported car companies such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
In fact, the huge popularity of diesel-powered sedans has led to the explosive growth of the imported car market here in recent years.
Now, the portion of diesel vehicles in the sales of imported brands accounts for over 60 percent. Such vehicles as BMW 520d and Volkswagen’s Golf have always been included among the top 10 best-selling models.
Different from old models, recent diesel sedans boast impressively low noise, vibration and harshness, while they still offer high fuel efficiency, high performance and reliability.
This has led luxury Japanese brands such as Lexus and Infiniti to suffer from sluggish sales, as they have failed to meet the growing needs on diesel sedans.
“The advanced diesel technology has made it difficult for automakers to be successful in new types of vehicles such as hybrids and electrics,” said Kim Pil-soo, an automotive studies professor at Daelim College.
To capitalize on the rapidly-growing market, local automakers have started to newly launch diesel versions of their flagship sedans, starting with small and compact vehicles.
Currently, Hyundai’s Accent, i30 and i40, Kia Motors’ Pride and GM Korea’s Cruze are equipped with diesel engines.
But after the successful launch of an Avante with a diesel engine, Hyundai is considering expanding its lineup by adding diesel versions of Sonata and Grandeur.
Kia Motors is also planning to launch a diesel version of its K3 compact sedan and the full-sized K7 sedan, while GM Korea may launch the Chevrolet Malibu with a diesel engine.
But foreign automakers aim at increasing their presence in the diesel sedan market with the launch of diesel hybrid vehicles, which can boast even higher fuel efficiency.
Mercedes-Benz Korea will soon launch the E300 BlueTEC Hybrid Avantgarde, which will be the first hybrid car here with a diesel engine.
Its fuel efficiency stands at 24.39 kilometers per liter, according to European standards.
Peugeot, which is best known here for its high fuel efficiency, will also launch the 3008 Hybrid4 which boasts an outstanding fuel efficiency of 26.3 kilometers per liter.
Hyundai’s diesel Avante has drawn much attention, as it can be a litmus test to see whether local diesel sedans can be successful, and the result is very encouraging.
Avante became the best-selling compact sedan here in August, thanks to its diesel variant.
Hyundai sold a total of 9,148 Avantes in September alone, up 16 percent from the previous month, making it the best-selling vehicle in the Korean market.
Hyundai officials believe that the sales increase is attributable to the launch of the new diesel model, as the portion of diesel Avantes in terms of total sales stood at 13 percent.
“The (sales) increase was due to the diesel model,” an official from the firm said. “Customer groups of the two Avante models do not seem to overlap, meaning the diesel version has created new customers.”
He said the diesel model is preferred by younger male drivers in their 20s and 30s.
With the growing popularity of the diesel-powered Avante, Hyundai recently added a premium version which has more luxury and convenience features. Previously, there were three variants of the diesel model, depending on options.
This is seen as an effort to compete with diesel sedans from imported brands.
The diesel sedan market has been growing significantly in the past few years but dominated by imported car companies such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
In fact, the huge popularity of diesel-powered sedans has led to the explosive growth of the imported car market here in recent years.
Now, the portion of diesel vehicles in the sales of imported brands accounts for over 60 percent. Such vehicles as BMW 520d and Volkswagen’s Golf have always been included among the top 10 best-selling models.
Different from old models, recent diesel sedans boast impressively low noise, vibration and harshness, while they still offer high fuel efficiency, high performance and reliability.
This has led luxury Japanese brands such as Lexus and Infiniti to suffer from sluggish sales, as they have failed to meet the growing needs on diesel sedans.
“The advanced diesel technology has made it difficult for automakers to be successful in new types of vehicles such as hybrids and electrics,” said Kim Pil-soo, an automotive studies professor at Daelim College.
To capitalize on the rapidly-growing market, local automakers have started to newly launch diesel versions of their flagship sedans, starting with small and compact vehicles.
Currently, Hyundai’s Accent, i30 and i40, Kia Motors’ Pride and GM Korea’s Cruze are equipped with diesel engines.
But after the successful launch of an Avante with a diesel engine, Hyundai is considering expanding its lineup by adding diesel versions of Sonata and Grandeur.
Kia Motors is also planning to launch a diesel version of its K3 compact sedan and the full-sized K7 sedan, while GM Korea may launch the Chevrolet Malibu with a diesel engine.
But foreign automakers aim at increasing their presence in the diesel sedan market with the launch of diesel hybrid vehicles, which can boast even higher fuel efficiency.
Mercedes-Benz Korea will soon launch the E300 BlueTEC Hybrid Avantgarde, which will be the first hybrid car here with a diesel engine.
Its fuel efficiency stands at 24.39 kilometers per liter, according to European standards.
Peugeot, which is best known here for its high fuel efficiency, will also launch the 3008 Hybrid4 which boasts an outstanding fuel efficiency of 26.3 kilometers per liter.
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