UK SALES 2015 - Kia breaks all previous sales records in the UK, but will it carry on in 2016 !

• Sales total 78,489 – a new yearly record
• Sportage hits record of 23,010 in its run-out year
• New model programme heralds an even better 2016

Kia Motors (UK) Limited has recorded a new annual sales record of 78,489 in 2015 in the face of increasing competition in the new car market.

During what President and Chief Executive Paul Philpott described as a “tumultuous year” in the marketplace, Kia saw its overall sales volume grow thanks to  organic and profitable development amongst its 188 dealers across the country.

And the remarkable success of Kia’s Sportage SUV led the way in what was its run-out year, with a new record of 23,010 delivered during 2015. The all-new Sportage, featuring even higher quality and refinement levels along with state-of-the-art new technologies, arrives in showrooms in February.

The European built Sportage was Kia’s best-seller, but the brand enjoyed strong sales right across its range with the cee’d and Venga – also built at the Zilina, Slovakia plant – recording sales of 12,395 and 6,510 respectively. The long-standing favourite Picanto  held on to its number two spot with sales of 14,279 followed in third with cee’d and then by Rio with 12,152 units delivered to customers.

Paul Philpott said: “The second half of this year has seen cut-throat competition in showrooms due to the weak Euro. Whilst heavy discounts are good news for private buyers the after-effects include falling second-hand values and reduced profitability for dealers – which is not good for customers in the long run.

“I am delighted that our dealers have seen their sales increase in a way that preserves their stability, their commitment to our brand and their ability to create more jobs in their businesses.

“But most importantly we go into 2016 with a raft of new products arriving in showrooms – all-new Optima saloon in January, all-new Sportage in February, our new dedicated Niro hybrid in the summer and then Optima wagon and GT and plug-in hybrid in the early autumn. Plus there is more to come in following years and I am totally confident that this will bring even more motorists to the Kia brand over the next few years to enable us to reach our sales goal of 100,000 car a year by 2020,” he added.