Kia Motors overseas sales rise 23.4% in May

 

Kia Motors overseas sales rise 23.4% in May
May Europe sales post 52.9% growth
Carnival (Sedona) MPV best-selling model overseas in May
Sportage SUV also provides sales boost

 

(SEOUL) May 2, 2005 -- Kia Motors Corporation today announced that its
overseas retail sales of passenger cars and light trucks in May 2005
recorded 70,787 units, representing a 23.4% year-on-year increase.
Meanwhile, exports during this period recorded 72,307 units, for a 24.5%
rise over the same period of last year. 

By region, European sales in May (26,489 units) rose by 52.9% year-on-year,
while the general market (15,595 units) and North America (28,703 units)
experienced sales growth of 29.0% and 2.6%, respectively. In terms of May
exports, 22,941 units were shipped to North America for a 13% year-on-year
rise, 30,690 units were shipped to Europe for a 33% increase and 18,676
units were shipped to the general market for a 27% gain. 

This strong May performance in overseas markets can be attributed to
continued robust sales of the A-segment Picanto, C-segment Cerato (also
known as the 'Spectra' in some markets) and the Carnival MPV (also known as
the 'Sedona'), which was the leading seller in foreign markets in the month
of May, as well as the added boost provided by the popularity of the
recently introduced new Sportage SUV. Also, the soon-to-be-launched all-new
B-segment Rio, for which production has commenced, is expected to further
accelerate this positive sales momentum.

 

For the first five months of 2005, Kia has seen its overseas retail sales
and exports leap by 31.8% and 30.9%, respectively. Over this period, Kia
sold a total of 324,192 vehicles while exporting 372,616 units. 

"Kia's continued impressive sales and export growth in overseas markets has
us well positioned to achieve our 2005 target of reaching one million
exports and US$10 billion in export revenue." said Mr. Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior
Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors. 

"With the all-new B-segment Rio set to arrive in showrooms this summer and
the completely redesigned long-body version of the Carnival (Sedona) MPV
expected to go on sale in the fall, we look forward to posting yet another
record year." he added. 


Kia Motors Corporation the fastest growing automaker 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 16 manufacturing and assembly
operations in 12 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year
that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers
covering 155 countries. Kia today has over 32,000 employees and annual
revenues of $14 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis
Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis 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.