SsangYong's May sales fall 32 pct amid pandemic

SEOUL, June 1 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co. said Monday its sales plunged 32 percent last month from a year earlier amid the new coronavirus' impact on the automobile industry.

SsangYong Motor sold 8,254 vehicles in May, down from 12,122 units a year ago due to a lack of new models and the virus' impact on consumer sentiment, the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales fell 25 percent to 7,575 units from 10,106 during the same period, while exports nose-dived 68 percent to 711 from 2,232, the statement said.

From January to May, sales fell 32 percent to 39,206 units from 58,030 in the same period a year ago, it said.

SsangYong Motor's lineup consists of the flagship G4 Rexton, as well as the Tivoli, Korando and Rexton Sports.

In 2011, Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. acquired a 70 percent stake in SsangYong Motor for 523 billion won (US$437.93 million).

Mahindra currently owns a 74.65 percent stake in the SUV-focused carmaker.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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