During the first quarter of 2006, European Kia dealers delivered a total of 65,179 units, to record a solid 3 % gain over 2005. Picanto sales (19,566 units) led from Sorento (10,721 units), Sportage (9,468 units), Rio (8,301 units) and Cerato (5,473 units) – to complete Kia’s Top 5 sellers table for the quarter.
Cumulatively through the first three months of 2006, Kia’s overseas sales have risen by 5.7% year-on-year, with Europe showing the largest gain at 8.8%. Meanwhile, the general market and North America have seen sales increase by 4.6% and 3.4%, respectively, through the first three months of the year.
Worldwide, the Sorento SUV was the company’s leading seller from January through March of 2006, with 29,449 units sold. Other popular selling models overseas include the Picanto (27,902 units), Sportage (26,538 units) and Rio (26,461 units).
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 over $15 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.
