Kia will launch five completely new models in the next three years, as the Korean brand looks to achieve 100,000 UK sales by 2020.
In addition to the five additional cars ? about which Kia is currently giving no details, five current model lines are being completely renewed. These include the big-selling Sportage SUV, the fourth-generation of which goes on UK sale on Friday 5th February.
Speaking to CarandVanNews at the UK launch of the new Sportage, Kia director Hamish McCowan says that the brand’s 1.2 per cent sales increase in 2015 in a very competitive market was satisfactory despite the market as a whole achieving 6.3 per cent ? Kia enjoyed its best-ever year for UK sales at 78,489 units, more than double the 29,372 the brand was achieving less than a decade ago in 2007. Britain also contributed 20.4 per cent to Kia?s total European sales. ?The UK is now the fifth-largest market globally for Kia, just behind its domestic market in Korea, China, the USA and Russia ? our nearest competitor is Germany but they are doing 55,000 cars,? McCowan adds.
As part of the 100,000 by 2020 plan agreed five years ago Kia UK is targeting 84,000 UK sales in 2016 and has already started strongly, the brand?s January figure up more than three per cent even before the new Sportage went on official sale. The 2016 year will be one of renewals, the first four of the new models not appearing until 2017 with another in the following year.
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