KG Mobility Musso上半年销量约为起亚Tasman四倍

KG Mobility's Musso scored a decisive victory over Kia's Tasman in the first-half battle among domestic pickup trucks, posting roughly four times the sales. Pickup trucks, long relegated to the margins of Korea's auto market, have drawn attention this year as competition between the Tasman and the Musso began in earnest. The industry views this year as the first year in which the identity of the Korean-style pickup truck will be established.
According to the industry on the 20th, the Musso sold 22,082 units in the global market during the first half. The Musso is a new pickup that KGM, a renowned pickup maker, launched about eight years after the Rexton Sports. Following the release of an EV model last year, the company added diesel and gasoline models in January this year, completing its powertrain lineup. Gasoline and diesel models sold 14,353 units, while the EV model sold 7,729 units. It recorded 12,271 units domestically and 9,811 units overseas, showing a balanced distribution.
By contrast, the Tasman's first-half sales stopped at 5,242 units — 1,976 units in the domestic market and 3,266 units overseas. The Tasman is the first authentic pickup released by Kia (000270.KS), which made a respectable debut last year with cumulative sales of 14,279 units. Combined with Kia's brand power, it attracted consumers by adding a refined design on par with an urban sport utility vehicle (SUV) to a pickup segment strongly associated with rugged cargo vehicles.
The Tasman enhanced the appeal of the pickup by featuring a 12.3-inch panoramic display and the latest infotainment system (ccNC), and applying an array of premium safety features such as Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). This drew family leisure customers who had used the Sorento or Carnival into the pickup truck market.
But once the launch effect faded, sales plummeted. In the domestic market alone, the Tasman's sales stand at about one-sixth of the Musso's.
The industry attributes the Musso's dominance over the Tasman largely to price competitiveness. The Tasman, aiming to be a premium pickup, starts at 37.5 million won and approaches the mid-50 million won range when fully loaded. The Musso, by contrast, lowered the entry barrier with an aggressive pricing policy, setting its gasoline model at 29.9 million won. In the higher trims, the price gap between the two models widens to more than about 10 million won. Analysts also say the Musso's distinctive robust frame body structure, optimized for off-road driving and hauling heavy loads, makes it more faithful to the essence of a pickup than the Tasman.
Kia has gone into emergency mode over the Tasman's slump. Kia's Hwaseong Plant 1, which produces the Tasman, is reportedly having difficulty running its lines properly due to insufficient production volume. The Tasman's production last year was 26,072 units, but this year it remained at 5,666 units through the first half. Kia plans to tighten its grip on markets considered the home turf of pickup trucks, such as Australia and Latin America, to boost the Tasman's sales. KGM also aims to surpass 20,000 units in exports this year by expanding the Musso's export regions, starting with Turkey.
The industry ultimately judges that competition between the Musso and the Tasman will accelerate the popularization of the Korean-style pickup truck. This is because it can raise consumer awareness of pickups and set off full-fledged competition in price, technology and design. With more market participants, it is also expected to play a role in establishing the identity of the Korean-style model.
"The Tasman and the Musso will expand their respective bases — urban and off-road types — and contribute to pickups rising as one pillar of Korea's auto market," an industry official said.