Now its time to Kia Motors America’s (KMA) to announced best-ever May sales of 51,771 units, a 7.4-percent increase over the same period last year. Year-to-date sales are up 18.7 percent, and May also saw the sale of Kia’s four millionth vehicle in the U.S. (since entering the market in 1994) and extended the brand’s run of consecutive monthly sales records to 21.
Vehicles that achieve more than 30 mpg on the highway2 accounted for78 percent of sales in May, while sales of the fuel-efficient 2012 Rio subcompacts, which can deliver up to 40 miles per gallon3 on the highway, increased 59.5 percent over the same period in 2011. The record-setting May performance was driven by strong demand for the brand’s two U.S.-built products – the Optima midsize sedan and Sorento CUV built at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) – as well as the ongoing popularity of the Soul urban passenger vehicle.
“Kia has experienced dramatic growth over the past few years, and our record-breaking momentum continues as we gather industry-wide recognition for reliability, low cost of ownership, increased residual values and outstanding brand loyalty,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and KMMG. “Our line of fuel-efficient vehicles combines cutting-edge technologies with world class design to create a standout value formula, and we’ll have more new products and technologies arriving in showrooms within the next year.”
