Kia looks to increase sales in Russia up to 7% this year
ST. PETERSBURG. Feb 8 (Interfax) - The company Kia plans to sell from 190,000 to 200,000 automobiles in Russia this year, having sold 187,000 in the country last year, for a 1.6% to 6.9% increase, Kia Motors Rus Managing Director Artyom Gusarov told Interfax.
"We sold around 187,000 last year. This year we are getting set to grow more than the market, and I think we can figure on 190,000-200,000 automobiles," Gusarov said.
Aside from the Rio, the company has several "sales mainstays" - the Sportage, Cerato, and Cee'd. This year, Kia will begin selling three new vehicles - Quoris, new Cerato, and new Pro Cee'd, Gusarov said.
"Russia is Kia's third market in the world. On the results of last year, our share of the Russian market was more than 6.5%. We want to be in the top three to five Russian market players," he said, adding that the company plans to grow within 1% annually.
As for the prospects for the industrial assembly of vehicles in Russia other than the Rio, Gusarov said, "If it is economically justifiable, the company might think about that." "But the automobile for such assembly should have [sales] volume not less than the Rio, that is, 60,000-100,000 automobiles per year. If it is less, then building a plant for these goals, to a large extent, makes no sense. As soon as that potential appears, we can think about it," he said.
Rios have been being built at the Hyundai Motor plant in St. Petersburg, and a number of Kia models are assembled at the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad.
