Kia sells 277,715 vehicles globally in May, up 2.7% on year

Kia sold 277,715 vehicles globally in May, a 2.7 percent increase from a year earlier, the automaker announced Sunday. Domestic sales edged down while overseas sales posted single-digit growth.

By model, the compact SUV Sportage led all vehicles with 52,293 units sold, followed by the subcompact SUV Seltos at 29,208 units and the hatchback K4 at 21,488 units.

Domestic sales fell 0.6 percent year-on-year to 44,713 units. The midsize SUV Sorento was the top-selling domestic model with 7,836 units.

In the passenger car segment, the Ray microcar led with 3,419 units, followed by the midsize K5 with 2,237 units and the Morning with 2,234 units, for a combined total of 10,979 units.

Recreational vehicle sales totaled 28,683 units, led by the Sorento and including the Sportage at 4,760 units, the Carnival minivan at 4,543 units and the Seltos at 3,169 units.

Commercial vehicle sales came to 5,051 units, with the Bongo III accounting for 2,644 units and the PV5 for 2,303 units.

Overseas sales in May rose 3.4 percent year-on-year to 232,781 units. The Sportage was the top-selling model abroad with 47,533 units, followed by the Seltos at 26,039 units and the K4 at 21,488 units.

Special-purpose vehicle sales totaled 221 units — 14 domestically and 207 overseas.

"We have sustained year-on-year sales growth for three consecutive months through region-specific eco-friendly vehicle strategies — leading with hybrid SUVs in the United States and mainstream electric vehicles in Europe," a Kia official said. "We will continue to build on this sales momentum through tailored strategies for each market."