Sorento leads record Kia sales with nearly 90,000 sold

(November 5, 2010) IRVINE, Calif. — The Kia Sorento mid-sized crossover vehicle, built at a new plant in Georgia, has become a star for the brand as it just completed its best sales quarter in company history.

Kia sold 31,199 vehicles in October, a 38.7-percent increase over the same period last year and an all-time sales record for the month of October. KMA's year-to-date sales are up 14.6 percent over 2009, and the company is well positioned to achieve its 16th consecutive year of market share growth. The October sales record is KMA's third in the past four months – and seventh overall in 2010.

KMA's sales were led for the 10th consecutive month by the 2011 Sorento, whose sales of 10,609 units helped the CUV surpass the 85,000 unit mark. Together, the vehicles resulting from Kia's design-led transformation — the 2010 Soul, Forte and Forte Koup; and the 2011 Sorento and Sportage — accounted for 80.4 percent of the monthly sales volume.

"KMA has achieved new quarterly sales records in each of the first three quarters this year, and the strong start to the fourth quarter is an indicator that our brand's tremendous momentum and growth will continue through the end of the year," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG).

"Demand for Kia's first U.S.-built1 vehicle, the Sorento CUV, remains extremely high, while the popularity of the all-new 2011 Sportage has outpaced supply since arriving in dealerships a few months ago, and the upcoming arrivals of the highly anticipated all-new 2011 Optima and sporty 2011 Forte 5-door will further our ongoing brand transformation."

  MONTH OF OCTOBER YEAR-TO-DATE
Model 2010 2009 2010 2009
Rio 1,818 4,005 22,709

27,238

Spectra 3 266 268 46,960
Forte 5,754 4,984 57,482 17,381
Optima 1,630 3,075 22,852 33,905
Amanti 11 51 251 3,607
Sportage 108 1,146 11,674 40,042
MY'11 Sportage 2,569 n/a 7,790 n/a
Sorento 2 1,154 778 19,667
MY'11 Sorento 10,609 n/a 88,783 n/a
Sedona 1,655 1,013 18,872 24,730
Rondo 68 814 3,455 12,545
Borrego 835 3,919 9,148 8,685
Soul 6,137 2,063 55,161 26,300
Total 31,199 22,490 299,223 261,060