S.Korea's Renault Samsung Motors November Sales Up

SEOUL, Dec 2, 2002; Reuters reported that Renault Samsung Motors Inc, one of South Korea's smallest automakers, said on Monday it sold 9,546 vehicles in November, down from a record 12,445 in October.

But the latest sales figure was higher than the 6,506 vehicles the unlisted automaker sold in November of last year, helped by the launch of its second model, the small-to-mid-sized SM3 passenger car, the company said.

"November is usually a slow month in terms of sales, since customers tend to wait until December to buy cars that are classified as 2003 models," a Renault Samsung spokesman told Reuters.

France's Renault SA took over the former auto unit of South Korea's Samsung Group in September of 2000 and holds a controlling 70.1 percent stake.

Renault Samsung sells only two passenger car models in South Korea -- the mid-sized SM5 and the SM3, launched in September -- both based on Nissan Motor Co's designs.