Global sales up 2.6% in January

KIA Motors Corp has recorded 216,606 vehicles sold globally in January for a 2.6% year-on-year gain.

In January, Kia saw sales growth in China, Europe, general markets and North America. “It is encouraging to kick off 2014 with positive sales momentum in all of our major overseas markets. With suprising new products that cover the entire spectrum, from our recently launched K900 luxury sedan in the United States to our first global full-electric vehicle – the Soul EV – which will go on sale later this year, we are excited about continuing to delight the world’s auto consumers in 2014,” said Kia Motors Corp executive vicepresident and chief operating officer Thomas Oh.

Meanwhile, Kia also enjoyed strong sales in all overseas markets (outside Korea) last year as vehicles sold climbed by 2.7% to 2,288,643 units compared with 2012.

Among the top performing markets were China, where Kia posted a 12.7% year-onyear sales jump to 577,386 units and Europe (3.4% yearon-year increase to 590,210 units). Kia’s bestselling model in overseas markets during 2013 was the B-segment Rio (known as K2 in China) with 470,766 units sold.

The Sportage compact CUV (crossover utility vehicle) was the second best seller with 389,698 units delivered, followed by the C-segment Cerato (known as Forte or K3 in some markets), Optima Dsegment sedan and mid-size Sorento CUV.

Kia Motors Corp’s 2013 full-year global sales figures for passenger cars as well as recreational and commercial vehicles increased 1.4% year-on-year to 2,746,643

units.