Ssangyong Motor sales rise by 25% in May

Ssangyong Motor Co, part of the Mahindra Group, today said it has sold a total of 12,730 vehicles in May, this year, a rise of over 25% over the year-ago period.

The company sold 5,270 vehicles in Korea and 7,460 in exports, including CKD kits, Mahindra & Mahindra said in a statement.

"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," Mahindra & Mahindra President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector, Pawan Goenka said.

The Korean firm said its monthly sales exceeded 12,000 units for the second straight month in May 2013, increasing by 25.3% year-on-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 back orders," it added.

The company said its sales in Korea witnessed uptrend for the fifth straight month in May due to robust sales of refreshed models including, the Korando series despite a slowdown in the Korean auto market.

It said 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," it added.