Kia Records Best-Ever UK January Sales

WEYBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM – February 4, 2010: Kia Motors (UK) Ltd., recorded its best-ever January sales with more than 5,000 vehicles delivered to customers during the first month of 2010.

A total of 5,030 vehicles were registered during January – almost 200 per cent up compared to January last year and Kia’s market share for the month increased to 3.47 per cent – up from 1.52 per cent in 2009.

Kia’s retail market performance was even more outstanding with the brand taking a 5.48 per cent share after delivering 3,548 units to private customers – more than four times the performance in January 2009 when the recession was at its deepest.

The January 2010 performance also saw Kia climb into the Top Ten of retail brands. The marque’s Picanto city-car claimed third place in the A segment retail Top Ten and was seventh in all retail sales. Overall Kia climbed six places to become the 11th best-selling brand in the UK new car market.

Michael Cole, Managing Director, said: “Only a month ago we were celebrating hitting a record sales total for Kia in 2009 of more than 50,000 units and we have continued that form into 2010.

“I believe this shows that the brand is strengthening its position amongst retail buyers and even with the excellent support for the trade from the scrappage incentive it shows how strong our product appeal is to private motorists. Now with a seven year warranty right across our range, the launch of our stylish new Venga and an all-new flagship Sorento, I am convinced we will maintain that performance in 2010.

“Of course the market will get a lot tougher once the scrappage scheme ends shortly, but Kia dealers are poised to build on our growing reputation as a provider of stylish, safe and thoroughly reliable products and we will be looking to grow our market share this year,” he added.

Kia’s last-highest January sales figure was in 2005 when the brand sold 2,477 units in what is traditionally a small sales month across most of the UK.