Kia Motors America Announces Record November Sales

Kia Surpasses All-Time Best U.S. Annual Sales Total in Just 11 Months

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced record November sales of 26,601 vehicles, a 48.2-percent increase over the same period last year and the company's eighth monthly sales record this year. With one month remaining in 2010, KMA's sales are up 16.8 percent over 2009 and Kia has already exceeded its previous full-year sales record set in 2007.

KMA's sales were led in November by the U.S.-built(1) 2011 Sorento with sales of 9,618 units. Sorento has been Kia's best-selling vehicle each month since going on sale in January, and together with the brand's stable of other recently introduced vehicles – the Soul, Forte and Forte Koup, and the Sorento, Sportage and all-new Optima – accounted for 84.3 percent of the monthly sales volume.

"Surpassing our previous best annual U.S. sales mark in just 11 months is the ultimate proof of the dramatic impact Kia's design-led transformation is having on the brand in terms of increased consumer awareness and consideration of Kia," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Our transformation continues with the all-new 2011 Optima now arriving in showrooms, to be followed in the coming months by the introduction of our first turbocharged and hybrid vehicles in the U.S."

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 725 dealers throughout the United States. For 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: medium none;" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"><col style="padding: 0pt 5.4pt 2pt;"><col style="padding: 0pt 5.4pt 2pt;"><col style="padding: 0pt 5.4pt 2pt;"><col style="padding: 0pt 5.4pt 2pt;"><col style="padding: 0pt 5.4pt 2pt;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" valign="bottom">MONTH OF NOVEMBER

</td><td colspan="2" valign="bottom">YEAR-TO-DATE

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Model

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">2010

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">2009

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">2010

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">2009

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Rio

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">966

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">3,496

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">23,675

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">30,734

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Spectra

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">3

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">89

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">271

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">47,049

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Forte

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">5,324

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">4,044

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">62,806

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">21,425

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Optima

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,289

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,644

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">24,141

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">35,549

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">MY '11 Optima

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">135

</td><td valign="bottom">n/a

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">135

</td><td valign="bottom">n/a

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Amanti

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">29

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">35

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">280

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">3,642

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Sportage

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">69

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,340

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">11,743

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">41,382

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">MY'11 Sportage

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,780

</td><td valign="bottom">n/a

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">9,570

</td><td valign="bottom">n/a

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Sorento

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">3

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,657

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">781

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">21,324

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">MY'11 Sorento

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">9,618

</td><td valign="bottom">n/a

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">98,401

</td><td valign="bottom">n/a

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Sedona

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,279

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">1,895

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">20,151

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">26,625

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Rondo

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">69

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">425

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">3,524

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">12,970

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Borrego

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">455

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">825

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">9,603

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">9,510

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Soul

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">5,582

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">2,505

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">60,743

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">28,805

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">

</td><td valign="bottom">

</td><td valign="bottom">

</td><td valign="bottom">

</td><td valign="bottom">

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td valign="bottom">Total

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">26,601

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">17,955

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">325,824

</td><td style="padding-right: 6pt;" valign="bottom">279,015

</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td>

</td><td>

</td><td>

</td><td>

</td><td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

(1) The 2011 Sorento is assembled at the Kia U.S. plant (Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc.) with U.S. and globally sourced parts.

SOURCE Kia Motors America

wow, i thought Kia was selling more. But still good gains.

Watch that Optima number start to go through the roof soon.....