Ssangyong Motor

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co. said Monday that its sales fell 12 percent last month from a year earlier due to weak demand for its major SUVs.

SsangYong Motor sold 10,015 vehicles in August, down from 11,349 units a year ago, due to weak sales of the Tivoli and G4 Rexton SUVs, the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales declined 11 percent to 8,038 units in August from 9,055 a year ago. Exports also declined 16 percent to 1,977 units from 2,366 during the same period, it said.

To help revive sales, the company launched the gasoline-powered Korando SUV last month.

From January to August, its sales fell 2.4 percent to 88,702 units from 90,925 units in the year-ago period, the statement said.

The SUV-focused carmaker's lineup includes the flagship G4 Rexton, Tivoli, Korando C and Korando Turismo.

Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. owns a 72.85 percent stake in SsangYong Motor.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr