Kia Back in the Game With Strong Start to 2014

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Feb 10, 2014: Kia has enjoyed a strong start to 2014, claiming a top 10 position in the new vehicle sales rankings on the back of a 7.6 per cent increase over the previous January.

According to VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Kia’s January sales were 2484, placing Kia 10th on the new car sales table with strong performances by key models in the range.

The compact SUV Sportage, now fully sourced out of Europe, was the top selling model for the month with 632 sales _ an increase of 50.5 per cent above the same month last year. Backing the strength of the SUV market the large Sorento jumped 12.9 per cent with 314 new cars sold.

“It has been a very pleasing start to the year for a range of reasons,” Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer, Tony Barlow said. “It is not only the number that is good but even more import and exciting is the range of key models that have seen a jump in sales.

“Our core Cerato models have all performed well and with settled supply it has provided a promising springboard into the rest of the year. We have a couple of very exciting models in the pipeline _ not the least of which is the stunning pro_cee’d GT turbo _ and the buzz around Kia is continuing to grow.”

With full supply available, Cerato sedan and hatch numbered 573 in January, a lift of 36.4 per cent over January, 2013, while the new Koup returned a 194.4 per cent jump with 106 sales compared to 36 last year.

The all-new Rondo continued its quiet achiever status with 51 sales for the month, a 240 per cent lift over the previous model’s effort in the same month last year.

Kia will launch its second generation Soul in February and shortly add the pro_cee’d GT to the stable. A product enhancement Sportage is also in the wings along with a refresh for the popular Rio and an all-new version of the segment-dominating Carnival late in the year.