GM Korea Co. on Monday added upgraded versions of the compact Trax sport-utility vehicle to its lineup to boost lackluster sales here.

The South Korean unit of General Motors Co. has begun to take preorders of the 1.4-liter gasoline turbo-engine Trax SUV with a six-speed manual gearbox and the 1.6-liter diesel-powered model, GM Korea said in a statement. 

The manual-based model has been added to offer the "fun of driving" to its customers who prefer recreational vehicles, the company said.

The demand for SUVs is on the rise in global markets as oil prices remain low and customers increasinly use more spacious SUVs to spend their leisure time with families and friends.

The 1.4-liter Trax is available at between 17 million won and 24 million won and the 1.6-liter model carries a price tag of 21 million-26 million won.

GM Korea sold a total of 235,306 vehicles in the January-May period, down 6.8 percent from 252,435 units a year earlier. The decline was mainly due to lack of new models and lower demand in major markets.

GM Korea, which is 76.9 percent owned by GM, sold about 600,000 units in 2016. Sales at the Korean unit accounted for 6 percent of GM's global sales of 9.96 million units last year, according to the company. (Yonhap)