Kia claims record market share in January

February 2012

Korean car manufacturer Kia has gotten 2012 off to an impressive start, claiming a three per cent share of the Australian market for the month of January.

The latest VFACTS figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries indicate that Kia sold 2,276 new cars in the first month of the new year, listing the brand in the top ten manufacturers.

This is an increase of 24 per cent on January 2011 and confirms the marque's focus on growth, according to Kia Australia president and chief executive officer Chongwoo Kim.

"It is what we planned for and what we worked for," Mr Kim said (February 6).

"It is only one month but it is the first month and without a good start it would be difficult to obtain the targets we are determined to reach."

The Kia Cerato and all-new Kia Rio were two of the marque's key performers, selling an average of 650 new cars each.

Kia Australia chief operating officer Tony Barlow said that the three and four door varieties of the Kia Rio - due to arrive this month - will help to maintain the sales momentum for the coming months.

Visit Peter Warren Kia dealership in Sydney to view the range of Kia cars, and take one out for a test drive!