Kia Motors posts 20.1% increase in 2009 global sales

Kia Motors posts 20.1% increase in 2009 global sales
- 1,651,920 Kia vehicles sold globally in 2009 for a 20.1% year-on-year increase - 2009 sales in China, Korea, general markets, North America, and Western Europe post year-on-year sales growth of 69.9%, 30.4%, 16.2%, 11.3%, and 7.7%, respectively - Cerato (Forte) is Kia's best selling overseas model in 2009 with 304,295 units delivered (Seoul) January 15, 2010 - Kia Motors Corporation announced today its global sales figures for passenger cars (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants), recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles for 2009 which reached an all-time high of 1,651,920 units sold, cementing Kia's position as one of the world's fasting growing automakers. This figure represents a year-on-year increase of 20.1%. By region, Kia posted year-on-year sales increases in China (256,732 units sold, a 69.9% year-on-year increase), Korea (412,752 units sold, a 30.4% year-on-year increase), general markets (304,522 units, a 16.2% year-on-year increase), North America (346,181 units, a 11.3% year-on-year increase) and Western Europe (242,288 units, a 7.7% year-on-year increase). For the month of December 2009, significant double digit sales growth was achieved in China (35,010 units sold, a 107.0% year-on-year increase), Korea (46,523 units sold, a 69.1% year-on-year increase), North America (23,693 units sold, a 45.5% year-on-year increase), Europe* (28,073 units sold, a 40.6% year-on-year increase) and general markets (29,417 units sold, a 31.4% year-on-year increase). Kia's best selling model in overseas markets in 2009 is the C-segment Cerato (known as 'Spectra' or 'Forte' in some markets) with 304,295 units sold. Kia's B-segment Rio and Sportage compact SUV compete for second position with 177,299 and 172,296 units sold, respectively. The C-segment cee'd comes in fourth with 124,389 units sold, and the Picanto concludes the top five with 100,355 units. In terms of vehicle category sold overseas, Kia's passenger and recreational vehicles achieved year-on-year increases in 2009 of 16.6% (776,352 units) and 19.7% (428,512 units), respectively. "2009 was another stellar year for Kia Motors as we turned the global economic downturn into an opportunity to raise market share in all regions, while winning the hearts of many new customers with our exciting new line-up of stylish, fuel efficient vehicles that offer unsurpassed value for money," said Hyoung-Keun Lee, President of Kia Motors Corporation. "We are excited about continuing this momentum in 2010 with the ongoing introduction of next generation Kia vehicles while continuing to raise the profile of the Kia brand through exciting marketing activities like the sponsorship of this year's FIFA World Cup South AfricaTM." ### Editor's notes: *Includes figures from Western and Eastern European markets **General markets includes the regions of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia (excluding China), the Pacific, Middle East and Africa Related Kia Motors broadcast-standard or streaming-quality video (for Web use), print-quality stills and other press material available at Kia Motors' Multimedia Library (www.kiamotors.com), powered by The NewsMarket. Delivery options include digital FTP transfer and streaming download in a variety of file types including Flash, MPEG-2, QuickTime and Windows Media. Registration and content is free to the media. 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. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world's premier automotive brands. Nearly 1.5 million vehicles a year are produced in 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. Kia today has over 40,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$14.5 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(tm) -- as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" -- represents the company's global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.