The average unit price for exports of South Korean automakers last year reached a record 15-thousand-400 dollars, surpassing the 15-thousand-dollar mark for the second consecutive year.

The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association(KAMA) said Thursday that the total number of units exported by the country's five carmakers was nearly two-point-45 million, down three-point-two percent from a year earlier.

The monetary sum from the shipments came to 37-point-seven billion dollars, one-point-six percent less than the year before.

Despite the decreases, the unit price reached the all-time high of 15-thousand-400 dollars from 15-thousand-100 dollars in 2017, thanks to exports of relatively more expensive SUVs.

Local manufacturers shipped a record one-point-39 million units of SUVs last year, up six-point-seven percent from the year before.