Kia sales exceed 1 million

KIA MOTORS recorded total sales of 1,007,876 last year, up 1.7 per cent, exceeding the one million mark for the first time in the company's 58-year history.

"2002 was a very difficult year for the auto industry as a whole," Kia Motors president Noi-myung Kim said. "The fact that Kia came through not only unscathed but recording its fourth successive year of profitable growth is testament to the competitiveness of the vehicles we produce."

The award-winning Carnival/ Sedona replaced the Rio small car as Kia's biggest global seller, though the Rio retained its top position in the export market. The Carnival sold 64,321 units in Korea and 91,106 overseas; the Rio sold 19,837 in Korea and 101,191 export sales.

Other top sellers last year were the Sorento SUV with 94,783 sales since its March launch and the Sephia II with 83,382 units. The United States is Kia's largest export market, with 237,345 sales, followed by Canada (29,038), Germany, (21,194), Italy (14,865), Spain (13,408), Austria (12,739) and the UK (12,359).

Mr Kim said Kia plans to continue its expansion: "We are looking for significant growth this year, particularly in Europe and China. Kia has only begun to explore its potential globally and we are going to surprise a lot of people over the next few years."