Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker by sales, said Wednesday its 2023 sales reached a record high of some 3.08 million units thanks to increased overseas demand for its SUV models.

Kia, the smaller auto affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., sold 3,085,771 vehicles last year, up from 2,901,797 units a year ago, on increased sales of its Sportage, Seltos and Sorento SUV models, the company said in a statement.

The company’s previous record stood at some 3.03 million units in 2014.

Foreign shipments rose 6.7 percent on-year to 2,516,383 units and domestic sales added 4.6 percent to 556,660 units.

The Sportage was the most popular model overseas, selling around 520,000 units, while the Sorento was the top selling model at home, shipping 85,811 units, the company said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency