Despite the outburst of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Korea, Kia Motors achieved record-high domestic sales last month thanks to robust sales of SUVs and vans as well as K-series passenger car models.
Kia Motors announced on July 1 that it sold 263,927 cars last month, including domestic sales of 45,010 units and overseas sales of 218,917 units, up 7.5 percent from a year ago. In particular, its domestic sales marked a 26.8-percent growth compared to a year ago and a 12.5-percent growth compared to a month ago.
The sales of SUVs and vans jumped 69.2 percent, serving as the main driver behind the sharp growth in the company’s domestic sales. By model, the Sorento was sold 7,212 units last month, the highest monthly sales since it was released first in August 2014.
The Sorento overtook the Morning (7,109 units), becoming Kia Motors’ best-selling model in five months after losing the crown. The Carnival and the Bongo Truck were sold 6,380 and 6,013, respectively, followed by the K3 with 3,843. For the January-June period of this year, Kia Motors’ cumulative domestic sales reached 242,582 units, up 10.9 percent year on year.
