- 653,361 Kia vehicles sold globally through March for 2.7% cumulative year-on-year gain 
- March sales in China and Europe posted year-on-year sales growth of 19.6% and 6.6%, respectively

(SEOUL) April 8, 2013 -- Kia Motors Corporation announced today its global sales figures (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) for passenger cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles through March 2013, recording a total of 653,361 units sold. This figure represents a 2.7% year-on-year increase for the first quarter of 2013.

In March, Kia posted a year-on-year sales increase in China of 19.6% (48,364 units sold) along with positive gains in Europe of 6.6% (57,651 units sold). China also experienced the highest cumulative gain to date in 2013 of 23.9% (144,559 units sold), followed by Europe and General Markets with 5.5% (135,571 units sold) and 1.8% (123,898 units sold), respectively. 

Kia’s bestselling model in overseas markets for the month of March was the B-segment Rio (known as ‘K2’ in China) with 44,371 units sold. The Sportage compact CUV was the second best seller with 32,966 units delivered, while the C-segment Cerato (known as ‘Forte’ in some markets), Optima D-segment sedan and Sorento mid-size CUV followed with 32,799, 23,981 and 17,402 units sold, respectively.

Editor’s notes: 
* ‘General markets’ include the regions of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia (excluding China and Korea), the Pacific, Middle East and Africa. ‘Europe’ includes both Western and Eastern European markets.


Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Over 2.7 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in nine manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 150 countries. Kia today has over 47,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of US$42 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.