Renault Samsung's Aug. sales dip 27 pct amid pandemic

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Tuesday its sales fell 27 percent last month from a year earlier amid the new coronavirus' impact on the automobile industry.

Renault Samsung sold 7,570 vehicles in August, down from 12,987 units a year ago, as the COVID-19 pandemic further affected consumer spending, the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales declined 22 percent to 6,104 units last month from 7,771 units a year ago, while exports plunged 72 percent to 1,466 from 5,216 during the same period, the statement said.

From January to August, sales dropped 27 percent to 84,158 units from 114,705 in the year-ago period, it said.

The company's current passenger car lineup includes the all-electric SM3 Z.E. sedan, the SM6 sedan, the XM3 SUV and the QM6 SUV.

Renault holds an 81 percent stake in Renault Samsung.

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