South Korean manufacturer Kia has unveiled plans to move to a head office in Walton, Surrey, on the back of a record year for new car sales in the UK.
The brand registered 66,629 units in 2012, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, up 24.27% on the 2011 total, increasing Kia’s market share to 3.26%, up 0.5ppts, and beating its own prediction made in early December to sell 65,000 units.
Go deeper with GlobalData
By model, Kia new registrations were 15,830 for the cee’d, 14,964 for the Sportage and just over 14,500 for the Picanto.
100,000-a-year
Paul Philpott, president and chief executive of Kia Motors (UK) said: "This is an excellent performance that matches the challenging targets we have set ourselves as we seek to build Kia into a 100,000 unit a year brand".
As such, Kia anticipates 70,000 sales in the UK in 2013 and will open a 1.1 acre retail site on a prominent thoroughfare in West London in 2014.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe move to Walton, a few miles down the A3050 from Kia’s current HQ in Weybridge, is planned for Autumn and will double the space available to employees.
richard.brown@timetric.com
