Kia reports seventh straight month of record sales

(April 1, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best ever monthly sales of 44,179, a 44.7-percent increase from March 2010, and a 34.7-percent increase over last month. This marks KMA's seventh consecutive month of record sales.

For the first time in company history Kia had two vehicles — Sorento and Soul — post sales of more than 10,000 units in a single month. The record March total helped KMA achieve its best-ever quarterly sales result with 104,774 units sold, surpassing the previous record of 97,955 units sold in the third quarter of 2010.

"Kia's design-led transformation has delivered a diverse lineup of stylish and fun-to-drive vehicles, and with rising fuel prices, more and more consumers are visiting our showrooms to take advantage of the outstanding fuel economy each of our vehicles offer," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). 

"Led by the Sorento and Soul, our record results are a reflection of the tremendous impact our fuel-efficient and technology-laden vehicles have made with consumers, and new levels of performance in models like the turbocharged Optima and Sportage will continue to surprise and impress consumers who turn to Kia while shopping for a new vehicle."

Kia said that the record sales performance illustrates the growing awareness and consideration of the Kia brand resulting from the company's global commitment to quality, safety, design, technology and overall value. 

In March, the all-new 2011 Optima became the first Korean-built vehicle to be awarded a five-star crash safety rating under NHTSA's new, stricter guidelines and the 2011 Sportage CUV was named the "Best New Crossover Vehicle" in the 2011 Readers' Choice Awards by About.com. 

MONTH OF MARCH

   

YEAR-TO-DATE

 

Model

2011

2010

 

2011

2010

 

Rio

2,070

2,231

 

4,885

6,578

 

Spectra

1

46

 

1

148

 

Forte

7,533

4,830

 

18,167

12,894

 

Optima

6,891

3,633

 

15,554

9,266

 

Amanti

-

31

 

1

97

 

Sportage

4,715

1,414

 

11,704

3,264

 

Sorento

-

59

 

-

691

 

MY'11 Sorento

11,071

9,156

 

27,828

24,761

 

Sedona

1,797

2,491

 

4,266

4,397

 

Rondo

9

932

 

40

1,753

 

Borrego

64

593

 

271

1,996

 

Soul

10,028

5,106

 

22,057

10,851

 
             

Total

44,179

30,522

 

104,774

76,696