Kia celebrates the tenth anniversary of European production in Slovakia.

• Kia has built over 2.5 million vehicles and 3.8 million engines in Europe
• 1.7 billion Euros invested in its production facility in Žilina, Slovakia
• Over 20,000 jobs created in Slovakia at the plant and among suppliers

Kia Motors today marks the tenth anniversary of production in Europe. From the official launch of volume production on 7 December 2006, over 2.5 million vehicles and 3.8 million engines have rolled off production lines at Kia Motors Slovakia in Žilina.

The company has invested more than 1.7 billion EUR since its arrival in Slovakia, generating over 20,000 jobs directly at the plant and among 40 of the facility’s most significant Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. 

Operating three production shifts each day, Kia alone employs approximately 3,800 people. Kia currently manufactures the cee’d model family, Sportage and Venga at the facility, and exports to 95 countries worldwide. 

14 per cent of models produced in Žilina are right-hand drive cars, while almost 40,000 Kia cars produced in Kia’s only European plant are present on Slovak roads.

Eek-Hee Lee, President and CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia, commented: “In the past decade, our company has become one of the biggest employers, producers, exporters and taxpayers in Slovakia. I would like to express my deep thanks mainly to our employees for their effort and passion. They have been the major force in achieving our production and business results over the past decade, and pushed the company to become one of the most efficient production facilities across the Hyundai Motor Group.”

The initial investment for building the plant represented 700 million EUR. The Korean manufacturer has continuously invested into production of new models at the facility, as well as installation of new technologies, with the company’s total investment in the region now totaling around 1.7 billion EUR. In 2016, Kia has invested 60 million EUR in Žilina, with plans to invest a further 130 million EUR in 2017 in innovating the company’s existing product portfolio.

Kia Motors Slovakia has so far paid corporate income tax of around 320 million EUR in Slovakia. Accounting for all taxes, customs duties and levies, Kia has contributed to the state budget or local self-governing region four times the amount drawn in state incentives and tax releases.

Kia Motors Slovakia currently employs around 3,800 people directly at the Žilina facility, with an average age of 35. The longest serving member of staff at the facility has been with the company for 12 years, seven months and four days. Over 800 people have worked at Kia Motors Slovakia for more than 10 years, and almost 2,800 people longer than 5 years, confirming the company’s position among the top employers in the country. Kia is committed to developing the skills and competencies of its employees, and has organised 8,900 training courses for staff since 2006. From the start of full vehicle production, Kia Motors Slovakia has issued over 2,160,000 lunches to its employees in the canteens.

Jan Taliga, Head of Press Shop, Kia Motors Slovakia, commented: “We fondly remember the moment the very first Kia cee’d model rolled off of the production line. As the first Slovak employee, I have witnessed not only the first stages of construction, but also the extension of production from one to two and then three working shifts. During my time working for Kia, I have developed my skills, and enjoyed working as part of a team with my colleagues.”

In the last 10 years, the most popular model produced by Kia in Žilina has been the Kia cee’d model family, accounting for 45 per cent of the total number of vehicles manufactured so far, followed by the brand’s current European best-seller, the Kia Sportage. The most popular colours among customers are black, white and silver.

Every day, two trains and 90 transporters are dispatched, sending 1,400 cars to 95 countries globally. Since 2006, Kia has exported most of its vehicles to Russia (18 per cent), the UK (12 per cent), Germany (9 per cent), Spain (6 per cent), and Italy (6 per cent). Žilina has also produced a series of unique fleet orders for the Slovak and Polish Police Forces, Czech Post, Slovak representatives of an international car rental company, as well as both the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturer and mobile service provider in Poland.

The plant is home to two engine production shops. The facility’s 1.6-litre diesel engine is the single most popular engine produced in Slovakia, accounting for 20 per cent of the total engine production to date, though the majority of the 3.8 million units produced are petrol engines (53 per cent). Almost half of the engines produced by Kia are exported to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech in Nošovice in the Czech Republic.

Among the most favoured long-term employee benefits are direct bus lines provided by the company. 32 company buses transport employees to and from work and cover 10,275 km throughout the Žilina region every day – almost 2.5 million km annually, and equivalent to one bus driving around the world more than 62 times in a year.

Kia Motor's UK takes a double award at this years CAr Dealer awards ceremony,

• Also awarded ‘Manufacturer Marketing Initiative of the Year’
• Awards voted for by franchised dealers across the UK
• Kia Sportage highly commended for ‘Car of the Year’

Kia Motors UK Limited has won two prestigious awards at the Car Dealer Power 2016 Awards at a ceremony held at Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. In their seventh year the awards are run by Car Dealer magazine and the votes are cast solely by the 4,500 franchised dealers who read Car Dealer magazine.  

Paul Philpott, CEO and President of Kia Motors UK said of the two wins: “These awards are a true reflection for us of what our dealers really think of the brand and highlight how happy they are with the way the brand is developing.

“Winning the ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ award for the second time clearly demonstrates the strong partnership we have with our dealers and shows that they are confident and committed to Kia. With many exciting new cars being launched in 2017 the future for Kia and our dealer network can only grow stronger.” 

James Baggott, CEO of Baize Group, parent company of Car Dealer Magazine, said: “Kia has been on a meteoric rise over the past few years - sales success has followed with each new model introduction and its dealers are reaping the benefits of its hard work.

"Survey respondents were overwhelmingly happy and delighted with the support they got from the manufacturer. They praised the firm’s advertising campaigns, its excellent aftersales support and its management structure for its openness and availability."

The all-new Sportage launch was awarded ‘Manufacturer Marketing Initiative of the Year’.  A fully integrated ‘Big WoW’ marketing launch for the model was launched across national, digital, social , dealer and CRM campaigns in the lead up to the car going on sale at the start of the year. Dealers were highly appreciative of the way the launch was planned and executed and made a great contribution to the success of the all-new Sportage with over 20,000 being sold since February.

James Baggott said: “Replacing a model that has transformed your brand is never easy - it’s that all too difficult second album.  Fortunately for Kia they got it absolutely spot on when it came to the all-new Sportage.

“Loved by customers and dealers alike, the replacement for this manufacturer’s best-selling model has continued to power the car maker forwards.”

Kia UK announces the third quarter offers available on a selected number of its new cars, with a £1000 saving or PCPC deals.

• Customers who take a test drive will receive £1,000 saving on a new car purchase
• New line-up for superminis Picanto and Rio
• 4.9 per cent APR across models in the range

Kia Motors UK Ltd is set to continue a strong range of customer offers across the entire line-up, available from 188 dealers across the country. New for the third quarter, Kia are offering customers who choose to take a test drive of selected models of the Kia range between 1 July and 30 September a massive £1,000 saving if they purchase a new car.

Certain models and trim levels may be exempt from any offers currently on offer - please refer to your
local dealer for a more details list of what cars and trim levels are on offer by Kia UK.

With a test drive proving a valuable part of the car-buying experience, customers will benefit from this exclusive offer. With many consumers now choosing to shop for their vehicles online, Kia believes that taking a test drive is still an important part of buying a car as it allows customers to really experience the vehicle for themselves.  

Kia’s superminis are also getting a revised line-up this summer, with added features and a range of financial offers available to customers. The revised Picanto 5-door line-up has been honed to just three generously specified grades – ‘1 Air’, ‘SE’, and ‘Sport’ -  available with 4.9 per cent APR across the range and £500 PCP deposit allowance on ‘SE’ and ‘Sport’.

The Rio 5-door line-up will also benefit from a simplified enhanced range, with a revised ‘1 Air’ and new ‘SE’ derivatives. Rio also benefits from the 4.9 per cent APR, with up to £750 PCP deposit allowance.

Kia will continue to offer its popular 4.9 per cent APR, with no deposit required. This means customers can walk into a dealership with no deposit, and take a new Kia model home the same day. In addition Kia’s mid-size range cars – Venga, Soul and Carens – continue to benefit from a zero per cent conditional sale with a 50 per cent minimum deposit. 

EUROPEAN SALES 2015 - Kia see's 2015 out with a record sales year with nearly 400,000 sales.

• 384,790 cars sold, representing year-on-year growth of 8.8%
• Continuous yearly sales growth for Kia in Europe since 2008
• Rise in sales for best-selling Sportage and new Sorento SUV

Kia Motors Europe recorded its best-ever full year sales in 2015, according to the latest data from ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association).

With 384,790 units sold in 2015*, Kia’s full-year sales figures represent year-on-year growth of 8.8%, increasing from 353,719 units in 2014. The Korean brand has now recorded rising sales every year in Europe since 2008.

Kia Motors Europe had already achieved sales of more than 200,000 in the first half of 2015 for the first time in the company’s history.

In addition to this, Kia Motors UK continues to hold the biggest market share in Europe, as well as one of the top five worldwide. At the end of 2015, KMUK achieved total sales of 78,489 units, making up 20.4% of the total European figure.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “It’s been another great year for Kia in Europe, and it’s clear that our organic growth strategy is paying off. European motorists are coming to Kia each year in greater numbers, thanks to our comprehensive model range which offers outstanding design and top product quality, sold through a dealer network which boasts consistently high levels of customer care.”

Cole added: “We have bold plans for 2016, a year which will see us introduce the first of our next-generation low emissions vehicles as part of a long-term plan to lower our fleet emissions and further reduce the environmental impact of our product line-up. These new models will play an important role in our plan for further sustainable growth across Europe.”

The Kia Sportage compact SUV – the brand’s bestselling model in Europe – continued to post record sales throughout 2015, enjoying the best-ever 12-month period in the model’s history in the region. Sales of the Sportage, which is due to be replaced by the fourth-generation Sportage early in 2016, rose by 8.0% to 105,317 units in 2015 – the first time Kia Motors Europe has sold more than 100,000 Sportage models in a year. The Kia Sportage is manufactured at the company’s production facility in Žilina, Slovakia.

The Kia Sorento SUV also proved increasingly popular with European buyers, with 14,183 sold in 2015, more than any other year in which the Sorento has been on sale.

The hotly-contested A- and B-segments also proved important for Kia’s sales growth throughout 2015, with recent upgrades to the Kia Picanto, Rio and Venga resulting in strong sales growth throughout the year. Sales of the Picanto rose by 5.1% (53,717 units), while the B-segment Rio (64,175 units, +9.3%) and European-manufactured Venga (28,489 units, +11.5%) each enjoyed their best-ever annual sales.

Every model in Kia’s European line-up is sold with the brand’s unique seven year, 100,000 mile warranty.

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.

Kia continues to break records in Europe with better sales, and the UK is still it's best market in the region.

• UK continues to be Kia’s biggest European market
• Record 200,038 Kia cars registered in Europe over first half of 2015
• Highest ever quarterly sales with 103,946 units registered in Q2
• Best-selling Sportage and cee’d top the brand’s sales charts

Kia Motors Europe has recorded its best ever quarterly and half-year sales in the company’s history, as the brand’s year-on-year growth accelerated to 7.6%, according to the latest data from ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association).

During the first half of 2015, Kia posted sales of 200,038, representing the best-ever six month period recorded by the Korean brand in Europe. Compared to the first half of 2014, this represents growth of 7.6%. At the same time, the second quarter of 2015 was the brand’s best-ever quarterly sales total, with 103,946 units registered – the first time Kia has broken through the 100,000 barrier in any one quarter.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “2015 to date has been a great period for Kia in Europe, with sales records tumbling and new highs reached. We’re delighted that Kia continues to grow, consistently and sustainably, and that an increasing number of motorists are drawn to our range of high quality, high value cars.”

Cole added: “Kia is focused on developing an unrivalled level of quality in its products, and an industry-leading level of service at every customer touchpoint. We want customers to enjoy buying and owning their Kia cars, and our record sales demonstrate that our approach is working.

The biggest market in Europe remains to be the UK where national sales hit an all-time high of 40,849 in the first half of 2015, resulting in a 20% overall profit contribution to Europe’s total sales.

New and updated models drive 7.6% sales growth

Kia’s first quarter growth has been driven by rising sales of the all-new Kia Soul, which went on-sale across Europe at the start of the year (first half sales up 112% year-on-year, to 7,042 units), as well as the all-new Sorento, with 5,670 units sold so far this year.

Two recently upgraded models, the Venga and Rio, also performed strongly through Q2 and the first half, with 15,386 (+11.8% year-on-year) and 33,059 (+6.1%) units sold respectively.

Sportage and cee’d top Kia sales charts

The Kia Sportage and cee’d model family retain their position as the two top-selling models from the Korean brand. Now in its fourth full year of production, the Kia Sportage boasted its best-ever sales quarter in Q2, with 28,208 vehicles sold across Europe from April to June and 56,002 year-to-date (+12.0% over the same period in 2014). The current version of the Sportage was updated in 2014 with a range of visual and dynamic enhancements.

The cee’d (40,090 units in the first half of the year) remains the brand’s second best-selling model in Europe behind the Sportage, and continues to appeal to customers thanks to its classy design, high quality interior, efficient range of engines and practical nature.

Having started production in 2006, the 1,000,000th Kia cee’d was recently manufactured by Kia Motors in Europe, a major milestone for a car that has played a significant role in Kia’s sustained growth and success since its introduction nine years ago. The 1,000,000th cee’d to roll off Kia’s European production line was a high-powered Kia cee’d GT five-door hatchback in ‘White Pearl’. The car and its 204 ps 1.6-litre T-GDI (turbo gasoline direct injection) engine were both produced in Slovakia – the car was produced for a buyer in the Netherlands.

UK SALES JUNE - KIA - Kia continues to set new records with its best ever range of cars.

• Best-ever June sales performance
• Best ever half-year for the brand
• Sportage continues to blaze a trail

Kia Motors (UK) Limited set further new sales records in June to deliver its best ever sales performance for that month and also saw its year to date sales total reach a new high – delivered by strong demand for the whole range of vehicles.

With June sales totalling  7,707 – up six per cent compared to last year’s figure of 7,260 – Kia saw its sales for the first half of 2015 reach 42,248 – another new record – up by almost 3.5 per cent on last year’s half-year figure of 40,849.

President and Chief Executive Paul Philpott said: “This was a tremendous performance for our dealers and our brand in the face of some very heavy discounting and action in the market-place. In fact we were running significantly higher in the ranking until the last two days of the month when we saw some very big numbers being recorded elsewhere as competitors sought to hit their targets.

“I am particularly pleased that we can see strong, increased sales across the month with dealers being able to sell cars to real customers and with a balanced performance right across our range,” he added.

Kia’s best-selling car in June was Sportage, with almost 2,300 delivered to buyers – the compact SUV is also leading the way across the half-year with more than 12,000 already sold this year. The European designed and built cee’d snatched second place in June from Picanto – those places are reversed in the first-half sales table. Rio and Venga complete the Top Five both for June and the first half.

Philpott added: “After such a strong first half performance I am confident that Kia dealers will continue to find even more customers wanting to join the Kia family and we will hit our goal of passing 80,000 sales in 2015.”

UK MARCH SALES - KIA - With records broken and sales growing, Kia is on a roll.

• March sales pass 15,000 mark
• New Quarter 1 record sales figure
• Sportage continues to lead the way

With 15,017 cars delivered to UK motorists in March, Kia Motors(UK) Limited recorded its best ever one-month sales figure. Kia also set a new first-quarter record with 22,265 sold in the first three months – compared to 21,608 in 2014 – a three per cent increase. 

In March last year Kia delivered 14,787 cars to customers – this year’s March total represented a 1.5 per cent increase.

Led by Sportage, with 4,307 units sold, Kia’s range continued to build its growing appeal with retail customers whilst maintaining a solid performance amongst fleet buyers during the month. Picanto attracted 2,934 buyers during March and the brand’s top five performers list was completed by Rio with 2,556 sales, cee’d with 2,178 units delivered and Venga with 1,287 deliveries.

The same five vehicles also led Kia’s sales charts for the first quarter as a whole – helping Kia to a record performance during the first three months of 22,265 sales.

Paul Philpott, President and CEO commented: “March has seen the UK new car market perform strongly in terms of numbers and I am delighted that Kia has maintained its strong growth, particularly amongst retail buyers.

“Our dealers have used the continuing appeal of Kia products to attract even more new customers to our brand and I am very happy to see that so many of our existing customers continue to return to the brand,” he added.