Seoul: Kia Corp. announced that its global sales increased by nearly 10 percent in June compared to the same month last year, fueled by strong demand for its sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The South Korean automaker reported that it sold a total of 295,720 vehicles worldwide last month, marking a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Sportage SUV continued to be the company's top-selling model, with 54,058 units sold. This was followed by the Seltos SUV, which recorded 35,007 units in sales, and the K4 compact sedan, which saw 22,373 units sold. Overseas sales grew 7.6 percent year-on-year to 240,259 units in June, while domestic sales saw a significant increase of 18.6 percent, reaching 54,508 units.

For the first half of the year, Kia achieved a record 1.63 million vehicles sold globally, marking its highest-ever sales for the first half of any year. The robust sales figures underscore the growing global demand for Kia's vehicle lineup, particularly its SUVs, which continue to be a driving force behind the company's sales growth.