Kia Motors’s overseas retail sales in April 2006 recorded 76,226 units, representing an 7.8 % year-on-year increase. By region, Europe continued its steady growth with 28,333 units sold in April for a 13.7 % rise over the same period of last year. Meanwhile, sales of Kia vehicles in the general market and North America recorded 17,207 units (8.8 % year-on-year increase) and 30,686 (2.4 % year-on-year increase), respectively.
Cumulatively through the first four months of 2006, Kia’s overseas sales have risen by 6.2 % year-on-year to reach 269,033 units, with Europe showing the largest gain at 10.1 %. The Sorento SUV was the company’s leading seller from January through April of 2006, with 40,726 units sold.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com) -- one of the fastest growing automakers 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 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in 7 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of almost $16 billion . It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World 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.
