Seoul: Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea rose more than 30 percent in September from a year ago, driven by strong demand for Tesla and steady sales of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), industry data showed Friday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) reported that the number of newly registered imported cars totaled 32,834 units last month, marking a 32.2 percent increase from 24,839 units recorded a year earlier.

KAIDA attributed the sales gain to the stable supply from some brands, new model launches, and active marketing efforts. By brand, Tesla led the sales for the third consecutive month with 9,069 units sold, followed by Mercedes-Benz with 6,904 units, BMW with 6,610 units, Audi with 1,426 units, Lexus with 1,417 units, and Volvo with 1,399 units.

Tesla's Model Y emerged as the best-selling model with 8,361 units, followed by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class with 3,239 units, the BMW 5 Series with 2,196 units, and BYD's Sealion 7 with 825 units. By fuel type, hybrid vehicles accounted for 16,585 units, or 50.5 percent of the total, followed by EVs at 39.3 percent, gasoline models at 9.5 percent, and diesel models at 0.7 percent.