The economy is sliding back into recession but Kia seems to be bucking the trend, announcing increases in revenue, profits and sales volumes.
The Korean firm managed to shift 635,000 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter of 2012 - an increase of 12.4% over last year's figure - and net profit was up to £625 million, a 26% increase over last year.
Kia has really upped its game in recent years in the quality stakes and now offers a wide range of twelve different models. It seems that, as Britons are tightening their purse strings, the demand for budget cars is increasing, and this may go some way to explaining Kia's recent success.
Sales of Kias have nearly doubled over the last three years. In October 2011, 4,272 new Kias were registered, compared to only 2,195 in October 2008.
Only time will tell if Kia can sustain these figures, but this is an impressive result for a company which only a few years ago was struggling to find a niche in a crowded UK marketplace.
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