GM Korea's Sept. sales surge 73.3 pct on strong exports

GM Korea, the South Korean arm of General Motors, reported a staggering 73.3 percent surge in sales for September compared to the previous year, primarily fueled by robust overseas demand. The company recorded a total of 41,101 vehicles sold in September, up from 23,723 units a year ago. This surge was largely attributed to the popular Chevrolet Trax Crossover and the Trailblazer sport utility vehicle (SUV), according to a press release from GM Korea.

However, the domestic sales of vehicles declined by 40.9 percent to 727 units in September, down from 1,231 units a year earlier. In contrast, exports saw an impressive 79.5 percent increase to 40,374 units from 22,492 units. From January to September, overall sales increased by 17 percent to 381,785 units, up from 326,381 units in the same period last year. Domestic sales dropped by 36.4 percent to 7,495 units, while exports rose by 19 percent to 374,290 units.

GM Korea operates under a two-track strategy, selling both locally assembled and imported vehicles in South Korea, which ranks fourth in the global economy. The company's current lineup comprises two locally assembled models - the Trailblazer and Trax Crossover - and one imported model, the GMC Sierra Denali. The Buick Electra E7 plug-in hybrid SUV is anticipated to join the lineup as early as next month.