SEOUL– Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker, said Thursday its sales rose 20.2 percent last month from a year earlier on a lower base effect and solid overseas demand for sport utility vehicles (SUV).
Kia sold 253,592 vehicles in June, up from 210,895 units a year ago, the company said in a statement.
Domestic sales fell 17.9 percent on-year to 49,280 units last month as the automaker cut back on production due to a global chip shortage, Kia said.
Overseas sales jumped 35.4 percent on-year to 204,312 units thanks to the lower base effect from a year earlier when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the automotive industry, it said.
Kia’s Sportage compact SUV was the bestselling model, selling 30,906 units at home and abroad.
Kia said it will step up promotions for its new large K8 sedan and all-electric EV6, scheduled to be launched in the latter half of this year, to boost sales momentum.
Source: Yonhap News Agency