Kia Motors America Announces That 2010 Had All-Time Best Full-Year Sales and Market Share

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IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 4, 2011; Kia Motors America (KMA), which previously announced it had surpassed its best-ever full-year sales total in just 11 months, today reported all-time record sales in 2010 of 356,268 units, up 18.7-percent over 2009 and a 16.6-percent increase over the annual mark set in 2007.  Nine monthly sales records, including the company's best-ever December sales of 30,444 units, led to KMA's 16th consecutive year of increased market share in the U.S.

KMA's sales were led throughout 2010 by the U.S.-built(1) 2011 Sorento, the brand's best-selling vehicle each month and the first Kia nameplate to eclipse 100,000 units in the U.S. in one year.  Kia Motors' design-led transformation has delivered a stable of new and recently introduced products; Soul, Forte, Forte Koup, Sorento, Sportage and the all-new Optima; that accounted for 86.3 percent of the December sales volume.

"Kia has experienced unprecedented growth in the U.S., including a 48-percent market share increase since 2008 to our current position of more than 3-percent, and our rapid expansion is a direct result of our commitment to delivering vehicles with world-class design that embody our core principles of quality, safety, technology and value," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Kia has invested heavily in the U.S., including our first North American manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia, and with our first turbocharged and hybrid vehicles set to arrive in showrooms early this year we expect to continue our momentum and growth."

2011 Kia Motors America Product Line

Kia's model year 2011 vehicle line includes the Sorento CUV and Sportage CUV, the all-new Optima midsize sedan, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio sub-compact sedan, Rio5 sub-compact hatchback and Sedona minivan.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation, based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 725 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." In 2010, KMA recorded its best-ever U.S. sales and 16th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site; www.kia.com.

(1) The 2011 Sorento is assembled at the Kia U.S. plant with U.S. and globally sourced parts.