Further confirmation that the popular Kia ceeґd is becoming a major attraction for C-segment family car buyers in Europe comes with news that this model has claimed the No1 sales spot in two countries during October.
In the Czech Republic, Kia ceeґd was the best-selling imported car (the top non-Skoda) for the first time in October and was the top-selling imported C-segment car for the second time, having also achieved this accolade in April.
Kiaґs total sales in October jumped 63% as the brand claimed a 3.47% market share. Over the first 10 months of 2007, Kia sales have climbed 67% enabling the brand to claim a Top 10 position, closely following Opel and beating Fiat.
In Finland, the Kia ceeґd leapt up the sales charts in October and claimed the No1 spot in its class, beating the Golf, Octavia, Auris and Focus, and capturing a 14.9% share of the C-segment. Kiaґs overall market share jumped by 50% to 7.2% during this month.
“We have made a huge effort to ensure that the Kia ceeґd family is exceptionally well styled, well built, keenly priced and has immense appeal for many different groups of European consumers. Positive media reports and a growing number of delighted ceeґd owners are accelerating demand and sales as the year unfolds,” commented Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe.
“Since its launch in Europe in December 2006, orders for more than 100,000 ceeґd five-door models have been received, and this model, with its 5-Star EuroNCAP safety rating, has played a key role in raising Kia brand awareness as well as our sales volumes.”
The Kia ceeґd family of cars - five-door hatchback, five-door wagon and three-door pro_ceeґd - are built at Kia Motorsґ first-ever vehicle manufacturing facility in Europe - the ?1 billion operation at Zilina in Slovakia.
With a highly-trained staff of 2,600 employees working two shifts, Zilina is now building four different Kia models - three ceeґd variants and the 2008 Sportage compact SUV range - on the same assembly lines.