Ssangyong Motor, part of the USD 16.2 billion Mahindra Group, announced that it has sold 12,730 vehicles in May 2013 – 5,270 vehicles in Korea and 7,460 in exports, including CKD kits.
The company’s monthly sales exceeded 12,000 units for the second straight month in May 2013, increasing by 25.3% year-on-year. Its cumulative sales from January 2013 also rose by 21.4% compared to the same period last year.
Ssangyong expects to continue to increase its sales since the company resumed second-shift production at its plant in Korea in the middle of May, which would help it reduce backorders.
Commenting on the performance, Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra,said, “We are delighted with the steady progress being made by Ssangyong. The trend towards weekend leisure travel in Korea is helping drive up our SUV volumes in that market.”
The company’s Korea sales uptrend continued for the fifth straight month in May thanks to robust sales of refreshed models including the Korando series despite a slowdown in the Korean auto market. The company registered a sharp increase of 28.4% in the Korea market from a year earlier, exceeding 5,000 vehicles during May.
Ssangyong’s exports also showed an increase of 23.1% in May compared to the same month last year, exceeding 7,000 vehicles for the two consecutive months. This can be attributed to an upswing in sales in Chile and other Central and South American markets, along with increased sales to the Russian market.
Furthermore, Ssangyong will operate various programs for its loyal customers and customer participation events such as outdoor leisure programs, camping and driving schools, in order to respond to the uptrend in SUV sales actively.