S.Korea's sales of imported cars hit record high in March

Sales of imported cars in South Korea hit a new high in March, a local trade body said Tuesday.

A total of newly registered import vehicles reached 10,290 in March, up 44.9 percent from the same month last year, the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA).

It marked the largest amount since 1987 when the country opened its automobile market. The previous high was 8,758 units tallied for August last year.

"Sales of imported cars were boosted by aggressive marketing efforts and the start of Seoul Motor Show," said Yoon Dae-sung, executive director of KAIDA.

BMW was the best-selling foreign brand with 2,982 units sold in March, followed by Mercedes-Benz with 1,712 units, Volkswagen 888 and Audi 857, According to the KAIDA.

The most registered single model was BMW 528, followed by BMW 520d and Mercedes-Benz E300.