Sales of foreign-made vehicles in South Korea jumped 20.6 percent in September on-year to reach a record high, fueled by sales promotions and a steady demand for premium models, a trade association said Monday.

A total of 12,123 imported vehicles were sold here last month, exceeding the 12,000-level for the first time since foreign cars first made inroads into the South Korean market in 1987, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.

The figure also represents a 14.6 percent rise from the previous month, it added.

For the first nine months of the year, local distributors sold a cumulative 95,706 vehicles, up 20.1 percent from a year earlier, KAIDA reported.

“September sales of imported cars gained sharply thanks to releases of new cars, sales promotions, and government-led tax cut plans,” a KAIDA statement said.

BMW topped the list with 2,308 units sold last month, leading the German dominance in the South Korean market. Mercedes-Benz came next with 2,062 cars, followed by Volkswagen with 1,831 and Audi with 1,441.

The Mercedes-Benz E300 was the best-selling model with 593 units sold, while Toyota Camry came second with 531 units sold and BMW 520d placed third with 515 units. The BMW 320d, the No. 1 seller in August, was relegated to fourth with 459 units.

Meanwhile, domestic sales of five local automakers led by Hyundai Motor Co. slipped 6.65 percent on-year in September to 115,811 units, due to contracted demand, according to industry data. 

(Yonhap News)