RECORD JUNE POWERS KIA MOTORS AMERICA TO BEST-EVER FIRST HALF SALES

IRVINE, Calif., July 1, 2016 – After J.D. Power recognized the brand as the highest scoring nameplate in its 2016 Initial Quality Study (IQS) out of all 33 makes in the U.S., Kia Motors America’s (KMA) June sales jumped 15.6 percent over the same period last year to 62,572 vehicles, capping the greatest quarter and half-year performances in company history. The brand’s fifth monthly sales record in six months included best-ever June totals for the Forte family of compact cars as well as the Sportage and Sorento CUVs.

Kia’s year-to-date sales of 328,327 units was driven by a number of standout performances, including:

• A 76.3 percent year-over-year increase for the Sportage compact CUV, highlighted by the best-ever single month total in May for Kia’s longest-running nameplate
• Best-ever first half sales of the Forte compacts, including an all-time high of 10,406 units in March
• Continued popularity for the Soul, with the iconic urban passenger vehicle on pace for increased sales for the seventh straight year

“No auto brand has experienced greater growth over the last 20 years than Kia, and J.D. Power’s IQS announcement boosted our momentum with huge increases in online and showroom traffic,” said Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA. “By every measure, the ‘New Kia’ is an elite automaker and one of the industry’s greatest success stories.”

	MONTH OF JUNE		YEAR-TO-DATE
Model	2016	2015	2016	2015
Rio	5,238	2,420	15,368	14,835
Forte	9,170	7,907	52,742	43,182
Optima	9,180	13,488	61,067	79,966
Cadenza	203	359	2,756	3,289
K900	62	168	439	710
Sportage	8,549	3,550	42,229	23,955
Sorento	12,118	8,967	59,078	56,421
Sedona	5,823	5,434	24,120	20,608
Soul	12,229	11,844	70,528	67,986
Total	62,572	54,137	328,327	310,952

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Kia Motors Q1 profit grows 4.6 %

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Wednesday that its first-quarter net profit increased 4.6 percent from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for its SUVs and newly-launched models.

Net income came to 944.6 billion won (US$822.7 million) during the January-March period compared with a profit of 903.2 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Operating income also jumped 23.8 percent on-year to 633.6 billion won and sales rose 13.2 percent to 12.65 trillion won, it said.

Its first-quarter earnings were much higher than the market consensus. Major brokerages predicted a net profit of 590.5 billion won in a poll conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency.

"The won's descent against the dollar, impact from newly-launched models such as the Sportage and K7 and expanded sales of our recreational vehicles were behind the marked improvement in profit," the company said in an emailed press release.

The better-than-expected earnings pushed the shares of Kia Motors higher from a weak start. They traded at 49,850 won as of 10:13 a.m., up 0.2 percent from the previous day.

Demand slumped much in China and other emerging markets, but Kia Motors said that its relatively brisk performance in the U.S. and Europe helped offset much of the drop. Its global sales in the first quarter edged down 0.7 percent on-year.

2017 Kia Sportage

Such SUVs as the Soul, Carnival and Sportage led the sales in the U.S., while the all-new Sportage played a major role in Europe, the company said. In China, however, the automaker suffered a setback, with its first-quarter sales dropping 12.7 percent from a year earlier.

Kia Motors' domestic sales here, meanwhile, expanded 11.4 percent as its SUVs such as the Carnival and Sportage were among popular models.

Aided by strong sales of high-margin vehicles coupled with favorable currency market conditions, Kia Motors saw its operating profit ratio rise to 5 percent in the first quarter, up 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier.

Kia Motors still remained cautious in its projection of market outlooks down the road, citing fierce competition and volatile market situations.

The overall profitability, however, will likely improve further as the Sportage SUV will be launched in more foreign countries while such new models as the K7 and the Niro hybrid SUV will result in a hike in demand.

Kia Motors also hopes that its auto plant in Mexico to be launched next month will strengthen its foothold in Central and South American countries.

"Kia Motors will continue efforts to raise its brand recognition with products with competitive edge and quality, while at the same time focusing on improving profitability through stable management," the company said.

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Record December Powers Kia Motors America To Best-Ever Annual Sales Total

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On the strength of eight consecutive monthly sales records – including December – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced all-time best annual sales of 625,818 vehicles in 2015, up 7.9 percent year-over-year. The record-setting December total of 54,241 vehicles increased 19 percent over the same period last year and pushed Kia over the 600,000-unit mark for the first time in company history.

Kia's historic year included a number of standout performances, including:

    Optima establishing a new single nameplate record of 159,414 units

    Soul sales increasing for the sixth straight year

    Best-ever sales of the Forte, Forte5 and Forte Koup family of compact cars

    K900 sales nearly doubling and Sedona sales increasing more than 150 percent

    Combined year-over-year CUV sales – Sportage and Sorento – climbing 16.9 percent

    The sale of Kia's six millionth vehicle in the U.S. since 1994

"Even without the benefit of a truck in our lineup, Kia began 2015 as one of Yahoo!'s 'hottest brands' and it only got better from there as we outperformed the record-setting industry and posted big gains in several passenger car and CUV segments," said Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA. "The new Kia is a recognized leader in design, quality, advanced technology and value, and with three all-new products scheduled to launch in 2016, we will continue challenging everything people think they know about this brand and our world-class products."

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.  KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2015, surpassing the 600,000 unit mark for the first time in company history. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K9001 flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle2, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States.  Kia's U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

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