Kia Motors Posts All-Time Best February Sales With 37.3-Percent Increase

Fast Growing Brand Achieves 18th Consecutive Monthly Sales Record

FYI: Kia Buyer's Guide

IRVINE, CA--March 1, 2012: Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the brand's best ever February sales of 45,038 units, a 37.3-percent increase over the same period in 2011. Year-to-date sales are up 32.9 percent on the strength of popular vehicles such as the built-in-the-U.S.(1) Optima midsize sedan and the Soul urban passenger vehicle, which led February sales with 11,558 and 10,876 units sold, respectively. Kia continues to be one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S., and the February sales total marks the brand's 18th straight monthly sales record.

"Kia's record-breaking sales momentum has continued in 2012, and one of our key growth enablers has been the success and efficiency of our first U.S. manufacturing plant, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), which produced its 500,000th vehicle in February, just over two years since opening its doors," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and KMMG. "A new top-of-the-line Optima will begin production at KMMG in just a few weeks, and the Optima Limited will once again showcase Kia's unique ability to redefine value with its world-class design, turbocharged performance and a number of premium features and amenities while remaining true to our core philosophy of offering consumers quality, outstanding fuel efficiency, advanced safety features and new technologies."

Kia's Unprecedented Growth

Kia Motors is the one of the world's fastest moving global automotive brands; from 2009-2011 Kia launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, and under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer earned a reputation as an industry leader in automotive styling. Kia Motors America's full line of fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive cars and CUVs has earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness, perception and consideration for the brand. In 2011, KMA recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, thanks in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality(2) and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking(3). Kia's U.S.-based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia -- KMMG -- is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and builds the company's two best-selling vehicles in the U.S. -- the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan(4). Kia's value- and technology-laden 2012 model year lineup also includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, all-new Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.

(1) The Optima GDI (EX Trims and certain LX Trims only) and GDI Turbo are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

(2) Source: Automotive Lease Guide Spring 2011 Perceived Quality Study

(3) Source: Experian Automotive Q2 2011 market analysis

(4) The Optima GDI (EX Trims and certain LX Trims only) and GDI Turbo are built at KMMG