Kia Dongfeng Yueda becomes the fastest growing automaker in China

We have another interesting Kia car sales report for the 2008 year.

This time, you’ll get some interesting numbers and facts about Kia sales and plans for China where Kia experienced the largest sales growth in the 2008.

Although automobile output and sales of China’s car giants fell sharply during the 2008, Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company, managed to increase it’s sales.

Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company, a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Kia Motors, and Yueda, has become one of the fastest growing carmakers in China with sales experiencing 40% rise compared to the year earlier.

In December, China returned a significant year-on-year increase, selling 16,909 units (a 36.2% year-on-year increase), while overall 12-month sales has reached 151,085 units, or eightfold above the industry growth rates!

To push it’s sales even further, Kia’s soon going to strengthen it’s China market line-up with two brand new vehicles. First scheduled to debut is the all-new Soul crossover, while later during the year, four-door Forte sedan (Spectra in the USA) will be brought to the market. Both models will be made locally with an estimated production of 40,000 and 60,000 units respectively.

Many automakers have also been looking to tap the China’s MPV market and Kia is no exception. It was reported by Gasgoo.com that Kia has also been considering to add the 7-seat Carens (Rondo) to it’s expanding range of China-built vehicles by 2010.

“We have been discussing about producing the Kia Carens MPV in China,” said an insider of Dongfeng Yueda Kia Auto recently to reporters. The Kia Carens is positioned as a family-use seven-seat MPV, which should be a market segment not fully explored yet in China. The Kia Carens MPV will be made at the second plant of the venture by 2010.