Kia Motors outpaces the pack in European new car registrations
- Kia’s May new car registrations in Europe grow by 49.1% year-on-year - Kia’s new car registrations in Europe for first five months of 2005 grow by 65.4% - A-segment Picanto, Sorento SUV and Sportage SUV lead Kia sales boom in Europe (SEOUL) June 17, 2005 -- Kia Motors Corporation today announced that, according to ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles), its May new car registrations in Europe (EU + EFTA countries) grew by 49.1% year-on-year to 18,420 units, thereby further strengthening Kia’s position as the fastest growing car maker in Europe. For the first five months of the year, Kia’s new car registrations have ballooned by an amazing 65.4% compared to the same period of last year, reaching 91,169 units. These impressive figures place Kia at the head of the pack among all major automakers in terms of new car registrations in Europe both for the month of May as well as for the first five months of the year. BMW Group was Kia’s closest competition for May registrations, posting a 23% year-on-year gain. Kia has recorded sales of 107,612 units in Europe through the first five months of 2005, representing a 68% increase over the same period of last year. From January to May of 2005, 31,977 units of the Picanto have been sold in Europe, followed by the continually strong selling Sorento SUV (18,010), Sportage SUV (16,556), which has seen impressive sales since its recent introduction earlier this year, and Carnival (Sedona) MPV (9,891). Spain was Kia’s biggest market in Europe for the first five months of the year, with a total of 16,359 vehicles delivered, just clear of Italy’s 16,177 units. Meanwhile, Greece showed the largest improvement with a 213% rise to achieve sales of 4,795 units. “Kia’s remarkable sales performance across Europe over the first five months of 2005 has been a fantastic achievement,” commented Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Europe. “Once again the monthly sales figures confirm that the technology, quality, style and comfort of new Kia cars -- not just their traditionally competitive equipment and pricing -- are finely tuned to the needs of European motorists,” he added. According to Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors, “Our outlook for the European market over the remainder of 2005 is extremely bright based on our aggressive plan to introduction diesel engines to our passenger and recreational vehicle line-up. We truly expect that the diesel C-segment Cerato and all-new diesel Picanto, which will arrive in dealer showrooms in the Autumn, will add even more fuel to the rapidly growing popularity of the Kia brand among European motorists.” Kia Motors Corporation ( <http://autoway.kia.co.kr/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kiamotors.com /> www.kiamotors.com) -- the fastest growing automaker in the world -- was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. Kia’s 16 manufacturing and assembly operations in 12 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 155 countries. Kia today has over 32,000 employees and annual revenues of $14 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan -- “The Power to Surprise” -- represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.