Large sports utility vehicles (SUVs), which were expected to be out of the market due to their large size and low fuel consumption, are steadily gaining popularity. In the meantime, large SUV sales in the domestic market did not increase significantly, not because of lack of demand, but because there was no variety of models to suit consumers` preferences.

According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association and the Imported Car Association, total domestic sales of large domestic SUVs jumped 31.3 % from 41,880 in the same period last year. By comparison, domestic sales of large SUVs increased by 31 % from the previous year to 25,711 units. Domestic large-sized SUV sales surged because the market itself grew due to Ssangyong`s launch of G4 Recton. Although the small SUV market has more than doubled this year, the large SUV market has been steadily growing by an average of 5% each year for the past five years. Consumer demand for large SUVs continues to grow. Family-based customers with children prefer larger SUVs to carry leisure activities and loads. While the price is comparable to that of a large sedan, the industry is seeing a lot of consumers opening their wallets for family safety and practicality, especially as leisure activities using equipment such as camping, fishing and surfing are increasing, Demand for larger SUVs that people can ride is likely to increase.

As a result, automakers that have been hesitant to launch large SUVs are expanding their lines. In May, Ssangyong launched the G4 Raston and launched the domestic SUV market. Before launching the G4 Recton, Kia Motors` Mojave was the only large domestic SUV. Hyundai Motor stopped Veracruz and raised a mid-size SUV `Santa Fe` to launch `Max Cruz` but it was not enough to catch consumers who wanted a large SUV.

Sales of G4 Recton, which has been limited in the domestic large SUV market, have been steadily increasing since its launch. G4 Recton sold 1347 units in August and increased to 1639 units in September. The G4 Recton`s popularity is attributed to its efficient performance and advanced features at a lower price than imported cars. Mojave, who has been in the market for eight years, has been selling more than 1000 units a month and has not cooled down. Especially, Mohabi is popular in the used car market, mainly in the leisure population, such as camping. In the future Hyundai & Kia will launch the Genesis SUV, including the Veracruz successor, and plan to increase its large SUV line.

Imported cars are also expanding the market by launching large SUVs one after another. US and Japanese mass-market brands are expanding the range without a large domestic SUV line. Honda `Pilot` is on the rise while Ford `Explorer` is on the lead, and Nissan `Pathfinder` recently added. In particular, Explorer has never missed the top spot in sales of imported large SUVs since launch. Although it is a large-sized vehicle over 5m, it is popular among customers who enjoy leisure by not only having a gasoline turbo engine but quiet, good performance, and low fuel cost.

The industry expects large SUVs with high utility to continue to grow. It is expected that some of the demand for sedans will be transferred to large SUVs as the number of 40-50 families with their families and younger generations enjoying leisure activities grow. Accordingly, domestic car makers, which have been neglected in launching large-sized SUVs, need to increase their lineups. An industry observer said, "Once customers who stick to the sedan get into SUVs, they often go back to SUVs with a wide sense of space and practicality. With the development of technology, SUVs will be more efficient as fuel efficiency improves said.

By Choi Yong Soon cys@


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