Kia Motors' U.S. sales in March 23.7% higher than 2009

Kia Motors America (KMA) on April 1 announced the brand's all-time best March sales of 30,522 units sold, a 23.5-percent increase over the same period last year and 10.7-percent increase over the previous March sales record set in 2007. Year-to-date sales are up 11.3-percent for a record best first quarter ever, and for the third consecutive month the all-new Sorento CUV was Kia's best-selling vehicle. Sorento, which arrived in dealerships in early January and is the brand's first vehicle to be assembled in the U.S., posted sales of 9,156 units, an 11.5-percent increase over February. Kia's record March performance also marked a significant milestone as the brand sold its three millionth vehicle in the U.S.

"Kia Motors is achieving record sales in the middle of the most aggressive new product launch cycle in company history that is delivering vehicles like the all-new Sorento that combine world-class design with the latest technology and convenience features," said B.M. Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Groundbreaking products like the Soul, Forte, Forte Koup and Sorento have rapidly changed Kia's DNA and elevated the brand's profile, and are the driving force behind our sales records. We expect this trend to continue as new models come on line later this year."

Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to the brand's continued gains in U.S. market share. With two new vehicle introductions and several other key initiatives planned for 2010, Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and with new technology such as UVO powered by Microsoft infotainment system (to be available in select Kia models in the U.S. beginning in summer 2010).

MONTH OF MARCH      YEAR-TO-DATE
                       --------------      ------------
  Model                2010      2009    2010    2009
  -----
  Rio                 2,231     1,483   6,578   4,211
  Spectra                46     6,423     148  15,005
  Forte               4,830       n/a  12,894     n/a
  Optima              3,633     1,964   9,266   6,595
  Amanti                 31       764      97   2,307
  Sportage            1,414     2,462   3,264   9,374
  Sorento                59     3,217     691  10,436
  MY'11 Sorento       9,156       n/a  24,761     n/a
  Sedona              2,491     4,426   4,397  13,207
  Rondo                 932     2,307   1,753   5,303
  Borrego               593       432   1,996   1,175
  Soul                5,106     1,246  10,851   1,280
  Total              30,522    24,724  76,696  68,893