Strong March Propels Kia Motors America To Best-Ever First Quarter Sales

March Total of 58,279 Units Includes All-Time High for the Family of Forte Compact Cars; Year-to-Date Sales up 3.7%

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Apr 01, 2016, 12:52 ET

IRVINE, Calif., April 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With March sales of 58,279 units – including best-ever single month sales for the Forte line of compact cars – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced a new first quarter record of 146,321 vehicles. The historic January-March performance saw the Forte, Sportage and Sedona nameplates post double digit gains over the same period last year.

Kia Motors America posts best-ever first quarter sales

"After outpacing the industry last year and setting a new all-time annual sales record, Kia has carried its momentum into 2016," said Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA. "Sell down of the outgoing Sportage exceeded our expectations, and the arrival of the completely redesigned model is the latest reason for customers to discover the 'New Kia' as we continue challenging everything people think they know about this brand."

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 minivan, 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.

Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

	MONTH OF MARCH		YEAR-TO-DATE
Model	2016	2015	2016	2015
Rio	2,475	2,483	5,366	5,998
Forte	10,406	7,537	23,922	19,508
Optima	11,725	15,485	29,768	36,463
Cadenza	593	783	1,552	1,806
K900	95	88	246	269
Sportage	6,804	5,184	17,467	11,645
Sorento	9,897	10,842	24,693	26,903
Sedona	4,241	3,638	10,231	7,670
Soul	12,043	12,731	33,076	30,838
Total	58,279	58,771	146,321	141,100