Kia Bucks Market Trend

Kia has continued to defy a contracting new car market with another Top Ten performance in November, according to the latest industry figures released by VFACTS. With 2344 sales in November, Kia soared 18.2 per cent over the same month last year and remained 4.7 per cent ahead on the year-to-date performance in an overall new car market down by 2.4 per cent for the same period. The star performer for Kia in November was the small car Cerato which has continued its month-on-month climb in the popularity stakes, recording a massive 130.4 per cent increase over November last year for a year-to-date rise of 78.2 per cent. In the People Mover market the perennial favourite, the Grand Carnival, continued to dominate with a 36.5 per cent share well clear of any challengers.

In the highly competitive Compact SUV field the stylish Sportage continues to grow its popularity with a year-to-date jump in sales of 14.3 per cent. Its big brother Sorento is enjoying even greater success with a 27.4 per cent increase over November last year and a year-to-date increase of 28.4 per cent. "It is always pleasing to outperform the market and especially satisfying to do so in difficult times," Kia Motors Australia's Chief Operating Officer, Tony Barlow, said. "There is a good spread of demand for Kia models and that is again a recognition that brand acceptance with buyers is continuing to improve. "December will be a particularly challenging month for the industry as a whole but we are confident that another solid month will provide a great launching pad for 2012.