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Kia’s world-wide August sales rises 9,2%
Although August is traditionally a slower month for sales, Kia continued to experience strong worldwide sales growth, especially in China and general markets. Despite the challenges facing the industry, this month’s results are very encouraging.
Global sales of passenger cars, recreation vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles in August 2008 recorded 112,564, representing a 9.2% year-on-year increase.
So far in 2008, Kia’s best selling model in overseas markets has been the C-segment Cerato (known as ‘Spectra’ in some markets) with 140,836 units sold.
It is followed by a close group of three vehicles: the B-segment Rio at 108,414 units, the C-segment cee’d at 103,350 units and Kia’s Sportage compact SUV at 99,608 units. Meanwhile the A-segment Picanto continues to perform well with 68,014 units sold.
Cumulatively, through the first eight months of 2008, Kia’s global sales increased by 16.0% year-on-year and reached 951,948 units. China (101,490 units sold) and general markets (167,922 units sold) have experienced the largest gains of 41.8%, and 35.7%, respectively.
Cumulative year-on-year sales increases have also been experienced in all other sales regions: Korea (16.0% gain from 204,849 units sold); Europe (10.8% gain from 240,504 units sold); and North America (2.3% gain from 237,183 units sold). [Source: Kia]
the new sportage was just launched last week and I have seen a lot of them already but only two mohaves, one of which was behind a camera car. Mohave was here for 2-3 months. but it is afterall a new product compared to sportage and its popularity.
The Forte sedan will eventually replace the Cerato 4-door as Kia’s best seller worldwide soon, I will predict.
yeah, forte will be top seller still cuz even if soul’s demand is higher, Kia is only gonna make 120,000 this first year. But soul’s is a fresh segment at the mo. BMW is gonna introduce a mini-CUV concept through their Mini brand at the paris motorshow. And it is quiet stylish I must say.
Since I learnt to read Korean I thought I’d practice some more on the korean Kia site just for fun and found out almost by accident that sportage is pronounced as spo-taj-EE like mo-haav-EE and forte is pronouced Port-Ay-ee/yee.