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Kia Motors celebrated its first year of operations in Mexico last week . The anniversary event, which held at Hippodrome in Mexico City, was chaired by top executives of the automaker . Representatives of the Mexican Government as well as authorities of Nuevo Leon, where Kia Motors started production of the Forte last May as planned, were also part of the celebration.
The Korean automaker however used the opportunity of the celebration to announce that the Kia Niro Hybrid Utility Vehicle (HUV) will be arriving the Mexican market at the end of the current year.
And with the introduction of Niro, Kia Motors will be offering its first hybrid vehicle in Mexico and will strengthen its product lineup in the country.
A statement obtained by AUTO REPORT AFRICA said Kia Motors Mexico has fulfilled its goals and met high expectations in the domestic market by offering high-quality and innovative products with attractive designs. With 34,517 units sold during the first 12 months of operation in Mexico, Kia has become the ninth best-selling brand in the country.
“This has been a year of great challenges and also of extraordinary accomplishments for Kia Motors as we exceeded our own expectations,” said Seong Bae Kim, President and CEO of Kia Motors Mexico. “We are very happy and proud to have not only surpassed our first year sales target but have successfully established a comprehensive retail dealer network throughout the country that is providing world-class service to Mexican consumers.”
Kia Motors Mexico said it expects to sell 45,000 units in 2016, which means that the automaker could reach local market share of over 3%, establishing itself as a truly competitive brand in Mexico with a lineup that will reach 7 models (Sportage, Sorento, Forte (Cerato), Rio, Optima, Soul, and Niro) by the end of this year.
According to the statement, one of Kia Motors Mexico’s strategic pillars is the consolidation of its dealer network, which is comprised of 73 dealers covering 94% of the national territory. It added that as part of the celebration of its first anniversary, the automaker opened 25 new dealers in 21 new cities last week in record time.
“We have had a very successful year. Surely this is an unprecedented achievement in an industry where more than 40 brands compete”, said Horacio Chavez, Managing Director of Kia Motors Mexico. “However, our challenge goes on and we work every day to strengthen the brand with the best products and the best customer service, with the aim of achieving 5% market share in the next four years.”
