SsangYong's Aug. sales jump 39 pct on SUV demand

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co. said Thursday its sales jumped 32 percent last month from a year earlier, helped by increased demand for its SUV models.

SsangYong Motor sold 10,645 vehicles in August, up from 7,675 units a year earlier despite an extended global chip shortage, the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales climbed 42 percent to 6,923 units last month from 4,861 a year ago, while exports were up 31 percent to 3,752 units from 2,874 during the same period, it said.

From January to August, sales rose 23 percent to 68,926 autos from 55,904 units a year earlier.

SsangYong's lineup consists of the Tivoli, Korando, and Rexton and Rexton Sports SUVs. It plans to launch the all-new Torres SUV in the domestic market this month and export it initially to Chile later this year.

On Friday, the Seoul Bankruptcy Court approved SsangYong's rehabilitation plan, paving the way for the debt-laden carmaker to get its business back on track.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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