Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Monday its sales gained 1.8 percent in March from a year earlier thanks in part to strong demand for its SUVs at home and abroad.

Kia Motors said in a press release that it sold 276,656 cars last month, up from 271,710 vehicles a year earlier.

Domestic sales jumped 8.5 percent on-year to 42,305 units, while overseas sales inched up 0.7 percent to 234,351 units over the same period.

Kia Motors said that its domestic sales stayed strong despite fierce competition from foreign brands, with demand for its SUVs leading the gain.

Its overseas shipments were mostly driven by such models as the K3, Sportage R, Pride and K5. In particular, the Sportage R SUV was its best-seller with 36,067 units sold in overseas markets.

During the first quarter of this year, Kia Motors' cumulative sales came to 751,162, down 2.7 percent from the same period last year. Its cumulative exports also fell 4.1 percent over the cited period to 636,650 units. (Yonhap)