Kia's Feb. sales rise 4.7 pct on improved chip supplies

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- Kia Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Wednesday its sales rose 4.7 percent last month from a year earlier, helped by improved chip supplies and new models.

Kia said it sold 221,152 vehicles in February, up from 211,314 units a year ago.

"The monthly results were helped by launches of competitive new models, including the all-electric EV6 sedan and Sportage SUV, and improving supplies of semiconductor parts," the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales climbed 5.3 percent on-year to 39,560 units last month from 37,583, while exports were up 4.5 percent to 181,592 from 173,731 during the cited period, it said.

From January to February, sales fell 0.6 percent to 434,392 autos from 437,047 units during the same period of last year.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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