Auto purchases in S. Korea hit 4-yr high in Jan.: data

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- The number of newly purchased vehicles in South Korea climbed to a four-year high in January, buoyed by a steady boost in truck buyers amid the protracted economic slump, data showed on Wednesday.

A total of 177,807 new vehicles were registered in January, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA). The number includes both passenger and commercial cars.

On a monthly basis, the latest figure marks the highest in four years since 182,508 units were sold in January 2011, the KAMA data showed.

Of the cars sold, passenger vehicles accounted for 82.7 percent, while commercial vehicles took up 14.1 percent, according to the data.

The jump in monthly car purchases came amid a steady rise in sales of trucks in the country, as more people opted to buy compact trucks for their own businesses amid unfavorable economic conditions.

The portion of newly registered trucks here stood at an annual 13.9 percent last year, up 0.4 percentage point from the 13.5 percent tallied in 2011, the data showed.

By model, Hyundai Motor Co.'s Porter pick-up truck was the most popular car in the country with 8,860 units sold in January, outselling the Sonata midsize sedan by 1,953 units, according to the data.

yjkim8826@yna.co.kr
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