Kia Spain On Top in Sibling Rivalry With Hyundai

MADRID – Kia Spain no longer is Hyundai’s little sister.

Kia registered 45,044 vehicles in Spain during 2015, a 43.1% improvement over the prior year and good for a 4.3% share of the market. South Korean affiliate Hyundai, which outsells Kia globally by roughly a 2-to-1 margin, registered 44,162 vehicles.

Last year’s result outpaced the 40,000 sales forecasted by Kia Spain, and the 2016 prediction is for 50,000 deliveries and a 5% market share. The automaker registered only 18,000 units in 2012.

“We are growing at a rate of 10,000 units per year, something that will be difficult to maintain (over) time, but there are still niches and market segments where we can grow,” says Emilio Herrera, general manager-Kia Spain.

To promote growth, Herrera is heading an ambitious program of new-model launches, starting with the fourth generation of its Optima lineup, exhibited for first time in September at the Frankfurt auto show and arriving in showrooms before the end of January.

Only the sedan version of the Optima initially will be available, but station-wagon and sporty GT iterations could arrive as soon as second-half 2016. The Optima will be powered by a new 1.7L engine making 141 hp, while the GT version will feature a 245-hp 2.0L turbocharged gasoline direct-injection mill.

The Optima range will be expanded at the end of 2016 with a hybrid plug-in model. Also planned before year-end are refreshed versions of the Soul, Carens and Sportage CUV, Kia’s best-selling model. They will be accompanied by the Niro, a new model that will be offered in hybrid, PHEV and all-electric configurations.

Two more new models are planned for 2017 and two more for 2018.

Other keys to Kia Spain’s recent success are the 7-year warranty offered for its vehicles and its distribution and sales network comprising 76 dealers and nearly 200 showrooms.