Canadian auto sales shrank in June as rising gas prices weightend on demand for large sized SUVs and light trucks. The 5.7 percent drop in June auto sales represents a sharp turnaround from the double-digit gains automakers experienced in the first two months of 2008.

Despite a tough market conditions, Kia kept its sales rising to the record high levels. Today, Kia Canada reported its best-ever June sales with  3.772 units sold – an increase of 10.9 percent compared to June of 2007.

In addition to a record high June sales, Kia Canada also reported its best ever first half year-to-date sales. Compared with the same period of last year, the sales of Kia vehicles jumped nearly 12 percent to 18.661 units.

Kia Rondo remains the best selling Kia model in Canda. Its sales in June nearly touched the 1000 units mark. In the first six months 5170 Rondos were sold. The popular people carrier was followed by Rio and Spectra with sales of 861 and 621 units respectively. (more…)

The very first detail shots of the production Kia Forte are out and it looks like that the appearance of much anticipated Kia sedan is going to be close to the Kia KOUP concept. The highly acclaimed KOUP concept previewed the design direction Kia cars will take in the near future and the Forte clearly follows that direction.

The Forte sedan will be the first production model to carry Kia’s new corporate look and will feature sportier design overall. It will include more distinctive design elements such as striking side character lines and a subtly designed grille. The H-shapped grille is set to become a Kia trademark in the future.

Kia will initially introduce the Forte with two fuel efficient gasoline engines. First available, will be the brand new 1.6L four cylinder rated at 124hp. The other, a more powerfull 2.0L engine, will be available soon after the official launch.

This new model will replace the Spectra, or as it’s called on other markets, the Cerato and is expected to enter the U.S. market by mid-2009. A two door variant, reportedly dubbed the Forte Coupe, will follow later in the year.

Expect more info and plenty of closer images on August 21. when Kia Motors officially pulls the wraps off it’s new Forte sedan (official Korean debut). [Source: Clubforte]

UPDATE: 2010 Kia XK spy shots

Click image to enlarge!

Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best June ever with record sales of 28,292 units, an increase of 7.6 percent over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 157,619 units, an increase of 2.1 percent over the same period last year. For the just completed quarter, the company reported sales of 89,405 units.

Kia’s June record sales were led by Spectra and Optima, with 7,131 and 6,865 units sold respectively. Small car Rio and family vacation favorite Sedona also had strong sales with 3,337 units and 3,719 units respectively, both increases over the same period last year.

“As the economy continues to fluctuate, consumers are turning to vehicles that are known for value and quality,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Thanks to a strong marketing plan and the hard work of the Kia dealer network, Kia continues to have success during this difficult economic time.”

See the sales by model table after the jump… (more…)

Click image to enlarge!     [Copyright: Photo gawid "Elchshot" for Autosccop]

Here we have some good quality spy shots of the “soon to be launched” Kia Soul crossover. These latest images show a barely disguised Kia Soul, which was caught when approaching the entry gate leading into the parking lot of Kia’s design center located in Frankfurt, Germany.

Although Kia Motors already released the first official press pack regarding its new Soul (see here), plenty of vehicle details still remain unknown to us. According to the company insiders, Kia plans to release more information before Soul makes its world debut. We have been confirmed that the Soul will make its first public appearance in October, when the 2008 Paris Auto Show commences.

Until then, you can browse through our comprehensive Kia Soul archive to find some very interesting spy images of a production ready Kia Soul.

Kia Soul Archives – click here

With global sales of 3,961,629 units in 2007 the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group has emerged as the world’s fifth largest automaker moving up from sixth place in 2006, according to Automotive News’ 2008 Global Data Book published yesterday.”We are extremely proud of having achieved this goal in such a short period of time,” said Ik-Hwan Kim, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Kia Motors.

“We have been stressing the value of our products over the last few years and our efforts have not gone unnoticed by the public or the industry, neither quantitatively or qualitatively. Kia will continue to focus on producing a new generation of quality vehicles with distinctive design for those who are young-at-heart to keep the momentum of our brand growing. As a top global automaker, we are set to move in new directions with continuous improvements in quality, design, eco-friendliness and brand innovation for years to come.” (more…)