Kia Sales Up 71% In UK

• Fifth record sales year in a row
• Fastest growing car manufacturer in UK & across Europe
• 41% increase in sales across Europe

Kia Motors UK Ltd achieved its fifth consecutive record-breaking year by posting total sales of 21,177 for 2003, a 71% increase over 2002 in a market up just 0.6%. In the process, Kia’s market share rose from 0.48% to 0.82%, reinforcing its title as the fastest growing car manufacturer in the UK and across Europe.

Strong consumer offers, including Kia’s unique £1 deposit campaign; the introduction of significantly improved versions of the Rio, Carens and Magentis; the runaway success of the new Sorento, 4x4 Magazine’s Car of the Year 2004; and the rise in popularity of the ever affordable Sedona – elevating it to No. 2 spot in the large MPV sector, have all contributed to Kia’s outstanding sales success.

Paul Williams, Managing Director of Kia Motors UK Limited said:

"Kia has capitalised on a strong, but value for money conscious, consumer marketplace in 2003. Our products have shown consistent improvement in terms of style and quality led by our Sorento 4x4, while the expansion of our dealer network to 131 dealerships offers customers easier access to our products and services. Our intention is to maintain the momentum we have achieved on existing products in 2003 and to reach 30,000 sales in 2004 with the introduction of our Picanto small car which will entice new customers to the Kia brand."

The top sellers in the UK for Kia were: Rio (31%), Sedona (27%), Carens (15%), and the Sorento (12%) showing that the brand competes successfully across a range of cars.

"The excellent sales performance in 2003 has established Kia as the fastest-growing manufacturer in Europe," comments Kyung Soo Lee, President of Kia Motors Europe (KME). "This achievement is the result of many complementary factors, such as Kia’s established line up of competitive models – like the Rio and Carens, technically sophisticated recent introductions – like the Sorento, our fast-changing brand image, the tremendous development of our dealer network and our reputation for providing excellent customer satisfaction."

The top five European markets for Kia products during 2003 were Germany (total sales 26,608), UK (21,177), Italy (19,396), Spain (18,303) and the Netherlands (10,187).

Kia’s record-breaking performance in 2003 was not confined to Europe. The Kia Motors Corporation achieved its fifth year of profitable growth in 2003 and produced more than 1.2 million vehicles around the world – an 18% increase on 2002. For the first time in Kia’s 59 year history annual export shipments of complete vehicles passed the half million mark, reaching 537,029 units by year-end – an increase of 19.4%.