Picanto News: Kia Looking To Expand Its Network

Although not directly Picanto news, Kia are looking to expand its dealer network in 2006. Having added large dealer groups like Pendragon, Reg Vardy and Arnold Clark in 2005 to their growing portfolio of Kia car dealers. It is widely rumoured that Inchcape Retail may be in talks with Kia as well as the Lookers Group, although its still early days.

We find this interesting as the brand has always been of a high standard for sometime now and this interest from these large dealer groups just goes to show the gap in quality and reliability brands like Kia is closing rapidly on the so called prestige and volume manufacturers.

To further emphasis this point, in September alone, Kia took a 1.88% market share, led by sales of the Kia Picanto with 7,844 registrations (more than 16% up year-on-year). Total sales for the first nine months are 31,714 (nearly 25% higher than 2004).

Kia are confident of achieving 47,500 sales this year, up 7,500 on its original target for 2005. "With a target of 100,000 units in 2010 we can't afford to slow down," says Kia Motors (UK) managing director Paul Williams.