Kia Corp. Reports Slight Global Sales Growth in April

Kia Corp. said Monday its global sales rose slightly from a year earlier, supported by robust demand for its Sportage compact SUVs.

The company sold a total of 277,188 units globally in April, up 1 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the South Korean automaker.

Kia Sportage SUVs supported the growth, with 51,458 units sold during the one-month period. This was followed by Seltos SUVs with 28,377 units and its mid-sized crossover SUV Sorento, with 22,843 units.

Within South Korea alone, the company outpaced its bigger rival Hyundai Motor Co. in sales for the first time in 28 years, according to company data. The company became a part of Hyundai Motor Group in 1998.

A total of 55,045 units of Kia vehicles were sold domestically, up 7.9 percent from the previous year.

Sales outside of South Korea, however, backtracked 0.7 percent on-year, to 221,692 units, partly due to the conflict between the United States and Iran affecting sales in the Middle East and the African markets, the company said.

"Sales, however continue to remain robust in other areas, excluding the Middle East region, as well as the local market," a press release stated.

"We plan to continue on the sales momentum led by eco-friendly cars, such as electric vehicles and hybrid SUVs."