Hatchbacks, which are less common in Korea due to the dominance of SUVs and sedans, are enjoying widespread popularity in Germany and other European countries, with five out of the ten best-selling cars in Europe during the first half of this year being hatchbacks.
On Sept. 23 (local time), the residential area along in Schwabing, Munich, was lined with parked hatchback cars. Despite the area being one of Munich’s affluent neighborhoods, large luxury sedans or SUVs were rarely seen. Hyundai and Kia cars, including models not sold in Korea, such as hatchbacks designed specifically for the European market, were also a common sight.
What was surprising is that even taxis and shared vehicles, which are often sedans or vans due to the nature of the service, frequently included hatchbacks and wagons. Many of the shared vehicles registered with ‘Miles’, a popular car-sharing service in Germany, were hatchbacks. These vehicles, often found parked in public spaces across Munich, were predominantly Volkswagen models like the Golf and Polo.
While hatchbacks have a minimal presence in Korea, where SUVs and sedans dominate, they enjoy widespread popularity in Germany and other European countries, primarily because their compact size makes them ideal for navigating and parking in cities with narrow streets and old buildings. In addition, hatchbacks are more affordable and fuel-efficient compared to SUVs or sedans, making them a practical choice for many European consumers.
According to the automotive-focused website Carscoops, five out of the ten best-selling cars in Europe during the first half of this year were hatchbacks. These include the Dacia Sandero, Volkswagen Golf, Renault Clio, Peugeot 208, and Toyota Yaris. Aside from hatchbacks, other top sellers were small SUVs such as the Volkswagen T-Roc, Citroën C3, and Toyota Yaris Cross, along with sedans like the Skoda Octavia and the Tesla Model Y.
For this reason, S. Korean carmakers such as Hyundai and Kia focus on selling locally tailored models like hatchbacks in Europe.
Hyundai produces hatchbacks like the i10 and i20 at its factory in Turkey for sale in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, while the i30 is manufactured in the Czech Republic. Kia introduced the hatchback model Ceed last year, which is not available in S. Korea, while Genesis followed in 2021 with the G70 Shooting Brake, a wagon version of its G70 sports sedan, specifically designed for the European market.
In the first half of this year, some of Hyundai Motor Group’s best-selling models in Europe included these locally tailored hatchbacks.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Hyundai and Kia’s combined sales in Europe during this period were down 2% from the previous year, with a total of 563,862 vehicles sold. Hyundai’s best-selling models were the Tucson (64,254 units), Kona (42,151 units), and i20 (32,220 units). Kia’s top sellers were the Sportage (88,789 units), Ceed (61,860 units), and Niro (38,846 units).
In contrast, hatchback sales in S. Korea have not seen significant growth despite efforts by automakers to introduce new models in recent years.
Genesis launched the G70 Shooting Brake, a wagon version of its G70 sports sedan, in 2022, initially targeting the European market and later introducing it to S. Korea. Around the same time, DS Automobiles introduced the DS4 hatchback, Peugeot unveiled the third generation of the 308 hatchback, and Volkswagen released the eighth generation of the Golf. BMW is set to launch a new version of its iconic 1 Series hatchback in the first half of next year.
According to Carisyou, a provider of specialized automotive information, the number of newly registered vehicles in S. Korea last month, by body type, was led by SUVs, followed by sedans, recreational vehicles (RVs), hatchbacks, pickup trucks, convertibles, coupes, and wagons.
Among these, the largest year-on-year decrease was seen in hatchbacks, with registrations dropping by 2,645 units (48.4%). Cumulative registrations for this year also show a stark contrast, with SUVs reaching 531,681 units and sedans at 277,688, while hatchbacks and wagons accounted for only 22,297 and 1,358 units, respectively.
