Kia has yet to reveal the official name of the car, but it’s thought that it might not be labelled ‘GT’ for the sake of clarity, with the firm now offering popular GT-line trim packs on several models. The new compact crossover is expected to be a key driver of Kia’s sales ambitions, with the brand aiming to sell 500,000 cars a year in Europe by 2018. It is on course to sell 430,000 cars in Europe this year, slightly ahead of its target of 425,000. “We have a history of hitting targets, because the plan isn’t just a number; it’s built around new product,” said Cole. For the UK, the aim is to lift annual sales to 120,000-plus by 2018, a sizeable increase on the 88,000 to 90,000 it expects to sell this year, according to UK boss Paul Philpott. Aside from new products, that increase is also expected to stem from rising sales to fleets, although Philpott is keen to avoid any discounting wars. Around 60% of European sales are to private buyers, said Cole, the highest of any volume brand. “We don’t want to lose these buyers, but equally this is a fleet opportunity,” he added. “Kia also enjoys the highest rate of conquest sales of any volume maker, at 70%.”
Kia is planning the global release of 425,000 alternative-fuel vehicles by 2020, including electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and a fuel-cell model. The car manufacturer will release a hybrid version of its Optima estate soon as well as a plug-in version of the Niro, with its first dedicated sports model, the 2011 GT concept, scheduled to begin production next year.