German automaker BMW returned to the top position in the Korean imported car market in November, bringing down Mercedes-Benz from the peak it stayed for the last five months.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) on Wednesday, a total of 22,266 imported vehicles were newly registered in the local market last month, up 32.3 percent from the previous month and 15.03 percent from a year earlier.

BMW ranked first after selling 6,827 units in the local imported car market. Mercedes-Benz that sold 6,296 units came in second. They were followed by Toyota (1,345 units), Lexus (1,113 units), Land Rover (1,052 units), Honda (854 units) and MINI (891 units).

During the January to November period, Mercedes-Benz topped the ranking by selling 64,902 units, trailed by BMW with 52,817 units and Lexus with 11,294 units. A total of 212,660 units of imported cars were sold in the local market over the same period, up 3.7 percent from a year-ago period.

BMW 520d kept its lead as the best-selling model for four months in a row in November selling 1,723 units, followed by Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic with 1,034 units and BMW 520d xDrive with 818 units.

By country, cars imported from European countries including Germany accounted for the lion’s share of 74.3 percent. Japanese vehicles took up 17.9 percent and American brands 7.7 percent.

An official from the KAIDA said that stable supply, aggressive sales promotion and launch of new models helped boost the sales of imported cars in the local market.

By Lee Seung-hoon and Choi Mira

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]