[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]Ssangyong Motor (CEO Lee Yoo-il; www.smotor.com), part of the Mahindra Group, today announced the company sold a total of 10,436 units in Sept 2013 - 4,432 units in domestic sales and 6,004 in exports.

Its sales in September increased by 2.8% from a year earlier and its cumulative sales rose by 21.4% compared to the same period last year. The increase was driven by higher demand for the Korando family brand including the New Korando C despite reduced working days at the plant as a result of the Chuseok holidays.

Thanks to the steady upswing, domestic sales also increased by 9.8% year-on-year and cumulative sales rose by 32.3% compared to the same period last year. However they decreased slightly from the previous month due to the reduced number of working days.

The New Korando C has been very well received, recording over 7,000 contracts since its launch in August and the company’s domestic sales will further increase based on the popularity of the New Korando C.

Moreover, its backorders for the domestic market exceeded 7,000 units as SUV sales are increasing in the market. To solve the backorder issue, the company has concentrated its efforts on increasing production volume after Chuseok.

Ssangyong’s cumulative exports grew by 14.3% compared to the same period last year thanks to increased sales in the Russian market despite priority being given towards meeting increased domestic demand.

The company expects its exports will also increase greatly through the launch of the New Korando C in overseas markets. The first overseas launch event was held in China on Sept 27 followed by Europe in October.

Lee Yoo-il, CEO of Ssangyong Motor, commented, “The bookings for our models have been gradually increasing backed by the successful launches of new models along with the growing trend towards SUVs in the global market,” adding, “We will further increase sales volume by effectively responding to demand as well as expanding overseas markets including China and Europe for the New Korando C.”