Seoul: Kia Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, reported a 2.2 percent increase in its March sales compared to the previous year, attributing the growth to rising demand both domestically and internationally. The company announced that it sold 278,058 vehicles in March, a climb from 272,011 units the same month last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kia's domestic sales saw a 2 percent year-on-year increase, reaching 50,006 units, while overseas sales rose by 2.2 percent to 227,724 units. The Sportage sport utility vehicle (SUV) emerged as the top-selling model in overseas markets, with 42,579 units sold, followed by the Sorento and the K3, which sold 20,439 and 18,200 units, respectively. In the domestic market, the Sorento was the most popular model, with sales reaching 10,155 units.
Kia also achieved its highest-ever first-quarter sales, with a total of 772,351 vehicles sold from January to March, marking a 1.6 percent increase from the same period last year. A Kia official noted that hybrid models of key vehicles, such as the EV3, Sportage, and Sorento, which were launched in the latter half of the previous year, significantly contributed to the strong sales performance, leading to the company's record-breaking first-quarter results.