(Seoul=NSP News Agency) Jiye Kim Journalist = KAIDA, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, announced that the number of newly registered import cars has marked 18,200 in August 2015. It indicates a rise of 10.7% from the 16,442 units registered in the same period last year. The cumulative number of new registrations stood at a record 158,739 from January to August 2015, representing a rise of 23.2% from the 128,817 cars newly registered in January to August 2014.

The numbers, basis on the engine capacity of newly registered cars is as follows. 965 cars (60.2%) in the 2000cc or below engine class, 5,864 (32.2%) in the 2000~3000cc, 911 (5.0%) in the 3000~4000cc, 414 (2.3%) cars registered with engines over 4000cc and 55 (0.3%) cars in other categories.

By country of origin, European brands account for 15,370 (84.5%), followed by Japanese brands with 1,865 (10.2%) and U.S. brands with 965 (5.3%). By fuel, diesel fuelled cars led the market with 13,154 (72.3%), followed by gasoline cars with 4,634 (25.5%), hybrids with 357 (2.0%) and electric cars with 55 (0.3%).

When it comes to the type of buyers, of all 18,200 new imported car purchases, the number of individual buyers surpasses that of corporations, with 11,463 cars (60.3%) and 6,737 (37.0%), respectively.
Meanwhile, the most favored model was Volkswagen assat 2.0 TDI(854), followed by Audi A6 35 TDI(795) and Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI(740).