Seoul: Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea increased nearly 17 percent on-year in 2025, with BMW maintaining its market lead in the country for the third consecutive year, industry data showed Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) revealed that registrations of new imported passenger cars totaled 307,377 last year, marking a 16.7 percent increase from 263,288 in 2024.

In December alone, new registrations reached 28,608, representing a 21.6 percent rise from the same period a year earlier. KAIDA attributed the annual market growth to the increased demand for foreign electric vehicles (EVs) and an expansion of new product lineups.

By brand, BMW led the market with 77,127 vehicles sold in 2025, followed closely by Mercedes-Benz with 68,467 units and Tesla with 59,916 units. Volvo ranked fourth with 14,903 units, closely trailed by Lexus at 14,891 units.

Considering the fuel type, hybrids dominated the market with 174,218 units, accounting for 56.7 percent of the total, followed by EVs at 29.7 percent, gasoline models at 12.5 percent, and diesel vehicles at a mere 1.1 percent.