올해 코로나19 여파에도 자동차 내수 시장이 탄탄한 성장세를 보이면서 올해 국산차 판매가 2002년 이후 18년 만에 최다 판매 기록을 세울 것으로 나타났다. 세계 주요 자동차 시장이 두 자릿수의 감소 폭을 보이는 것과 대조적이다.
6일 완성차 5개사의 발표를 집계한 결과 올해 1∼11월 완성차 5개사의 내수 판매는 총 147만3973대로, 작년 같은 기간(138만8327대)보다 6.2% 증가했다.
지난달 5일 현대자동차 울산공장 수출선적부두와 야적장에 완성차들이 대기하고 있다. /연합뉴스
완성차 5개사의 내수 판매는 2016년 158만8572대 이후 2017년 155만80대, 2018년 154만5607대, 2019년 153만3206대 등 3년 연속 감소세를 보였다. 그러나 올해는 4년 만에 플러스(+)로 돌아서는 모습이다.
이에 따라 2002년(162만868대) 이후 18년만에 완성차 5개사의 내수 판매가 160만대를 넘어설 것으로 보인다.
업체별로는 현대차(005380)가 71만9368대를 판매해 작년 같은 기간보다 판매량이 6.5% 증가했다. 기아차(000270)는 51만3543대로 9.0% 늘었다.
한국GM과 르노삼성은 각각 7만3695대와 8만7929대를 판매해 작년 동기 대비 8.9%, 14.4% 증가했다. 쌍용차(003620)만 작년 동기 대비 18.3% 감소한 7만9439대를 판매했다.
완성차 5개사의 올해 월평균 판매 대수는 2002년(13만5072대) 이후 최대치인 13만3998대를 기록했다. 2002년은 주 5일제 시행과 레저용 차량(RV) 붐으로 완성차 5개사의 자동차가 역대 두 번째로 많이 팔렸던 해다. 역대 최다판매는 1996년(164만대)이다.
현대차 디 올 뉴 투싼. /현대기아차 제공
업계는 월평균 판매량과 최근 추세 등을 고려하면 올해는 연간 160만대 고지를 무난히 밟을 수 있을 것으로 전망한다. 특히 12월은 전통적인 자동차 업계의 성수기인 만큼 160만대까지 남은 12만여대는 충분히 판매할 수 있을 것으로 보인다.
완성차 5개사는 이미 저금리 할부, 조기 출고 할인, 차량 가격의 최대 10% 할인 등 각종 프로모션을 내놓고 연말 소비 심리 잡기에 나섰다.
업계 관계자는 "개별소비세 감면 정책의 일몰 효과도 있어 연말 차량 구매 수요는 더 늘어날 것"이라고 했다.
신차 효과도 이어지고 있다.
지난달부터 본격 판매된 현대차의 신형 투싼과 기아차의 신형 카니발이 인기리에 판매되고 있고, 제네시스의 대표 세단인 G80의 판매 호조가 이어지는 가운데 오는 8일에는 중형 스포츠유틸리티차(SUV)인 GV70도 공개된다.
쌍용차의 경우 ‘차박(자동차와 숙박의 합성어)’을 겨냥한 티볼리 에어에 이어 ‘임영웅 차’로 화제가 된 올 뉴 렉스턴이 실적을 견인하고 있다. 르노삼성도 XM3에 이어 최근 선보인 뉴 QM6로 반전을 노리고 있다.
쏘렌토 하이브리드. /기아차 제공
특히 지난달 국내 하이브리드차 판매량은 올해 들어 최다를 기록했다. 현대·기아차에 따르면 11월 한 달간 판매된 하이브리드차는 총 1만6359대로 올해 들어 가장 많았다. 전달에 비해서는 38.7%, 작년 동월에 비해서는 127.5% 증가한 규모다.
투싼 등 인기 차종 모델이 늘어난 데다 내년부터 하이브리드차에 대한 세제 혜택이 축소되면서 연말에 수요가 몰리고 있는 것으로 보인다.
기아차 쏘렌토는 지난달 3518대 팔리며 하이브리드 모델 중 판매량 1위를 차지했다. 쏘렌토 하이브리드는 올해 총 2만1246대 판매되며 신형 쏘렌토 전체 판매(7만1500대)의 29.7%를 차지했다.
그랜저 하이브리드는 지난달 3506대를 판매하며 뒤를 이었다. 작년보다는 51.6% 증가했다. 올해 누계는 3만5634대로 전체 하이브리드 모델 중 가장 많이 판매됐다. 전체 그랜저 판매(13만6384대) 중에서는 26.1%를 차지해 올해 판매된 그랜저 4대 중 1대가 하이브리드인 것으로 나타났다.
현대차 그랜저 하이브리드. /현대차 제공
지난 9월 출시된 투싼 하이브리드는 11월 한 달간 2983대 판매됐다. 지난달까지 판매된 신형 투싼 7061대 중에서는 하이브리드 모델이 3353대로 47.5%를 차지했다. 신형 투싼 두 대 중 한 대는 하이브리드인 셈이다.
니로 하이브리드는 1755대 판매돼 작년보다 4.6% 늘었고, K5 하이브리드는 1200대로 13배 증가했다. 이외에도 △쏘나타 1098대 △아반떼 764대 △K7 605대 △코나 511대 △아이오닉 419대 등이 판매됐다.
한편 글로벌 자동차 시장은 미국과 유럽, 중국 등 주요 시장은 모두 두 자릿수의 판매 감소를 기록하는 등 좀처럼 회복세를 보이지 못하고 있다.
오토모티브뉴스에 따르면 미국은 지난 9월까지 자동차 판매가 전년 대비 30% 줄었다. 유럽자동차협회(ACEA)에 따르면 유럽 자동차 시장은 지난 10월까지 27%가 줄었고, 중국 승용차 연석회의(CPCA)도 중국 자동차 판매량이 10월까지 10% 감소했다고 밝혔다.
SINGAPORE - Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab’s venture with Singtel and internet platform company Sea Ltd have each won licences to run Singapore’s first digital banks, in the city-state’s biggest banking shakeup in two decades.
Singapore’s move to herald newer players including Alibaba Group affiliate Ant Group and a consortium comprising China’s Greenland Financial Holding Group comes as Asian regulators tap tech firms to shake up their often staid markets.
Singapore’s criteria, which included local control and S$1.5 billion in paid-up capital for full digital banking, was stricter than its main financial rival Hong Kong, which has issued eight digital licences.
“Digital banks will need to contend with an uncertain economic environment, low interest rates and competitive responses from the incumbent banks and other financial services players,” said Wong Nai Seng, a partner at Deloitte, who worked at Singapore’s central bank for 17 years.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) expects the digital banks to start operating from early 2022 after meeting the necessary pre-conditions of Singapore, one of the world’s top financial centres, and Southeast’s main hub.
“We expect them to thrive alongside the incumbent banks and raise the industry’s bar in delivering quality financial services, particularly for currently underserved businesses and individuals,” said Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
MAS, the central bank, had previously shortlisted 14 of 21 applications received by Dec. 31 last year.
Analysts say the development is unlikely to seriously impact incumbents DBS Group Holdings, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp and United Overseas Bank which have already invested heavily in technology.
The licensees could use the opportunity as a step towards expanding into larger Southeast Asian markets.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN TECH TITANS
Grab’s venture and Sea won digital full bank licences. This allows them to take deposits and offer services to both retail and corporate customers in a country where most of its 5.7 million population already have bank accounts.
Their operations will initially be restricted as they build up business models and processes before gradually becoming fully functional.
Grab, Southeast Asia’s most valued start-up at over $15 billion which is backed by Softbank Group Corp, will hold 60per cent in its venture with Singtel. Grab has evolved from a food delivery app operator into a one-stop shop for ride-hailing, food delivery, payments and insurance.
At a virtual media briefing on Friday, both firms said the consortium would add about 200 roles by end-2021.
“Singapore is a gateway to Southeast Asia. Today’s winners will also look to seek upcoming digital bank licenses in Malaysia and Philippines to create regional powerhouses for bringing fintech and lifestyle together,” said Varun Mittal, head of emerging markets fintech business at consultancy EY.
Shares of U.S.-listed Sea, which is involved in e-commerce, online gaming and digital payments, rose 5.6per cent on Friday. Founded in 2009 by Chinese-born entrepreneur Forrest Li, who became a Singapore citizen, Sea boasts a market valuation of $90 billion.
Li, Sea’s chairman and group CEO said the licence gave the firm a chance to address the “underserved” financial needs of young consumers and small and medium businesses in Singapore.
Ant and the Greenland consortium, winners of digital wholesale banking licences, can tap small and medium-sized businesses. Alibaba’s shares edged up 0.6per cent.
MAS said since the two wholesale banks are introduced as a pilot, it could give more licences later. Previously, it had flagged offering up to three wholesale licences.
It said on Friday that it had taken into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the applicants’ business plans.
KUALA LUMPUR: It has been months since Naeem Nassir was terminated from Oman Air in July, and the 30-year-old pilot still longs for the adrenaline rush and glamour of his previous work.
His job of two years was quite different from the traditional deskbound nine-to-five. The senior first officer counted frequent international travel, an above average income and an office above the clouds as some of its perks.
For now, taking to the skies is out of reach for Naeem and hundreds of his pilot and flight attendant colleagues in Malaysia who have been grounded or sacked as COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the air travel industry.
The tail of a Malaysia Airlines aircraft is pictured on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on Sep 7, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Mohd Rasfan)
Over the last few months, two major airlines in Malaysia, Malindo Air and AirAsia, have confirmed that there have been layoffs while national carrier Malaysia Airlines has implemented cost-cutting measures such as unpaid leave and pay cuts.
Some of those impacted have turned to entrepreneurship to earn a living, kick-starting businesses in the hope that they yield returns.
FORMER PILOT’S BURGER VENTURE WHICH HAS TAKEN OFF
Naeem, for instance, has swapped out his aviator hat and smart uniform for dirty aprons and grimy gloves at his new venture, Smashed Burger.
The outlet, located in Bukit Jelutong, Selangor, sells Australian beef patty burgers with toppings such as caramelised onions and beef bacon, for the relatively cheap price of around RM10 (US$2.46).
While flipping burgers may sound less complicated than flying a commercial aircraft, Naeem acknowledged that the transition has been “very drastic”.
“I went from sitting down in an air-conditioned cockpit, managing switches and flying the plane, and being served food by cabin crew, to working this burger business.
“I found myself standing for hours beside a hot grill late into the night and engaging directly with customers with different expectations. It’s a drastic change,” he added.
Naeem opened Smashed Burger because he was inspired by the burgers he had tried when he flew to Muscat, Oman.
A Smashed Burger contains smashed beef patty, special sauce, melted cheese, caramalised onions and lettuce. (Photo: Instagram/smashed.my)
“There were two kinds of burgers in Oman which I crave for. The first is like those at Shake Shack, so I went to Google their recipes. The second type is 'burger bakar' or burger patties grilled on charcoal grill.”
Fortunately for him, Smashed Burger has been a huge hit among locals in Selangor. Ever since food blogs and local media have reported on the venture, Naeem’s burgers have been selling out almost daily this week, and he has been forced to apologise to his customers, urging them not to travel to his stall and end up disappointed.
“We are thankful… we never expected the business to go viral. The business was initially run just by me and my wife, but now my parents are helping out too,” he added.
FORMER PILOT OPENS HOME-BASED FOOD BUSINESS
Another pilot who has pivoted to a food business is Syed Meerah, a former Malindo Air employee who was sacked in October.
The 33-year-old captain said he was shocked at first, but after discussing with his partner, he decided to take the plunge into a home-based food business.
“After I was retrenched, my girlfriend suggested that I do something that I like – and I love to cook. So I decided to cook for my friends, ask them to review, and after I got good feedback, I decided to go all out,” said Syed.
Syed Meerah runs Grounded Chef with his former colleague Hazrin Naemran. (Photo: Instagram/groundedchef)
Syed runs a food delivery service – dubbed Grounded Chef – that serves up mamak-style dishes that have a Peranakan twist such as devil curry chicken and chicken perattal. He works alongside his former colleague from Malindo Air, a flight attendant, who helps him with the deliveries.
“My cooking style was initially just Indian Muslim, mamak cooking. Then after I introduced Nyonya style, which is more sour-based with asam and belacan, that became my signature,” said Syed.
Grounded Chef serves, among others, devil's chicken curry and house special teh tarik. (Photo: Instagram/groundedchef)
“I used to travel to India a lot for work and over there I learnt about spices, local delicacies and style and I try to implement these in my cooking,” he added.
He cited how he learnt to make a special omelette by adding more milk to make it fluffier, a tip he picked up in Amritsar, a city in north India.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT STARTS FISH BREEDING VENTURE
Besides food businesses, there are grounded Malaysians from the aviation industry who have opened other ventures. For instance, a flight attendant with AirAsia, who wanted to be known only as Don, told CNA that he has opened a business breeding fighting fish.
Don said that he is still employed by AirAsia, but as the number of flights have dried up, his opportunities for work have dwindled and so has his flight allowance. He flies once a month, if he is lucky.
Don is breeding fighting fish in his home. They take around five months to mature before they can be sold. (Photo courtesy of Don)
“The last time I flew was around two months ago, and frankly, I don’t know if I’ll ever fly again,” said Don.
He recalled how earlier this year, he and his AirAsia colleagues had heard rumours of upcoming retrenchment exercises.
“Typically we hear that it would most likely happen within 24 hours, and those nights, we all had trouble sleeping.”
He then decided that he needed some financial security and invested his life savings of around RM17,000 to start a fish farm in his home to breed colourful betta fighting fish, which can be sold for up to RM1,000 each.
Don enjoys breeding fighting fish but he finds the work required to frequently clean their tanks cumbersome. (Photo courtesy of Don)
“I started out with just two fish, but now I’ve got thousands of them. I made mistakes, but learnt from watching YouTube videos and got suggestions from old-time breeders,” added Don.
To further supplement his income, Don also opened a roadside stall called Popiah World selling fried popiah. He said the stall’s unique selling point is the variety of fillings customers can choose to have in their popiah, including carbonara, spicy beef and chicken with special sauce.
However, he has learnt that running two businesses is “tiring”, especially the fish business, which has taken up a lot of his time and energy.
“Breeding fishes is not my specialty. I love animals, so I enjoy it but it’s exhausting to change the water in the containers every 3 days and I have no money to hire an assistant. It also takes five months to breed the fishes until they’re mature and ready to be sold. This requires patience before I would see any returns on my investment,” added Don.
“THE HIGHER YOU ARE, THE HARDER YOU FALL”
While Naeem, Syed and Don’s businesses have had varying degrees of success so far, all three are in agreement that the income they are grinding out pales in comparison with what they were earning while flying pre-COVID-19.
Naeem said that as a pilot with Oman Air, he was earning a “five-figure salary” and although his Smashed Burger venture has been popular, he still has been forced to tone down his lifestyle.
“I was blessed with a good salary. I bought a house. I now own two properties and my (loan) commitments are very, very high,” said Naeem. “It’s been a big change.”
Syed concurred, explaining how his spending power has diminished now that he is relying on his home-based business for income.
“As the saying goes – the higher you are, the harder you fall,” said Syed. “This whole episode has been a wake-up call for all of us,” he said. “At the moment, it’s about getting through the day.”
He was grateful that the government has extended the bank loan moratorium for Malaysians who have been retrenched as a result of COVID-19.
“It helps a lot but when the moratorium ends, the problem arises again. These current businesses opened by pilots and flight attendants won’t be able to sustain unless the moratorium is extended further,” said Syed.
“We have car and house loans which need to be serviced as well and we would appreciate more help from the government. Other than the moratorium, there has been no other forms of financial aid,” he added.
Meanwhile for Don, he still draws a basic salary as he is still employed with AirAsia, but it is a fraction of what he was earning in 2019 when he was flying more often.
“My wife’s income has been reduced by 30 per cent. The banks have approved our moratorium request for our home loan, but not for my car and motorbike,” said Don.
“So there’s nothing else I can do but try my best to cover the costs,” he added.
WAITING TO FLY AGAIN
While their businesses have been a refreshing change, all three told CNA they are keen to return to work with their airlines.
Syed said: “I’m waiting to get back in the air, that’s about it. This (business) is something to tide me over.”
However, he acknowledged if he were to return to flying full time, he would miss his “fun cooking business” and the conversations he has with his customers.
“The only (main difference) is the money, always the money,” said Syed. “I can’t earn whatever I earned flying from my business, and I have (financial) commitments.”
AirAsia planes are seen parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 in Sepang, Malaysia, Apr 14, 2020. (File photo: REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng)
Naeem said that it has always been his ambition to both be a pilot and also own a food and beverage business, and he is hopeful that he can follow both dreams once the flying industry has returned to normal.
“Perhaps it has been a blessing in disguise that I got laid off, so that I can chase this dream,” said Naeem.
“If I were to start flying again, I would love to continue this business because I believe in sharing good quality food for everyone to enjoy. Hopefully this business can grow further again,” he added.
Don, the flight attendant, is hopeful that the air travel industry will soar again in the near future. He noted that there are plans to bring in the COVID-19 vaccine and he is optimistic it will inspire confidence in Malaysians to resume flying.
“I hope AirAsia will recover and passengers will no longer be afraid to travel. If I’m working, at least I’m assured of a salary,” said Don.
“I don’t mind flying even with the precautions in place. I wear the PPE (personal protective equipment) while flying and ensure I take a shower at the airport after every flight,” he added.
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