By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Several Korea-based carmakers reported robust sales in April, which was attributed to continued strong demand from domestic and overseas markets.
Hyundai Motor, Korea's largest carmaker, reported selling 310,396 vehicles in April, a 27.6 percent jump from a year ago. Domestic sales climbed 16.9 percent to 55,339, but exports proved to be the main growth driver, rising 30.1 percent to 255,057 in April.
Kia Motors, the country's second-largest carmaker and an affiliate of Hyundai Motor, sold 174,580 cars in April, a 48.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Kia said domestic sales jumped 32.8 percent to 38,513, while exports surged 53.8 percent to 136,067.
Likewise, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology chalked up bullish sales, selling 66,003 vehicles in April. GM Daewoo, the Korean unit of General Motors, attributed the 51 percent increase from last year's sales to brisk domestic sales and exports. Domestic sales soared 53.9 percent to 10,893, while its exports also grew by 50.4 percent to 55,110
Renault Samsung Motors, a part of French automaker Renault SA, also doubled its sales in April, compared to the previous year. The company said it sold 23,983 cars in April this year, compared to the 10,515 sold in the same month last year.
Meanwhile, Ssangyong Motor, a company that has been under bankruptcy protection for more than a year, sold 7,047 vehicles in April. Ssangyong's domestic sales stood at 2,646 in April, while exports were at 4,401. The company did not give comparative figures from the previous year.