Kia July 2012 Sales up 5.6%

[xcel]

Kia’s Optima bests the Malibu for the first time while new products wait in the wings.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Aug. 1, 2012

The 2014 Kia Forte is longer, lower and wider. Pricing, drivetrain and fuel economy capabilities are still unknown.

From our preview in The Next Generation 2014 Kia Forte, Kia last week released exterior shots. The upcoming Forte or Cerato replacement will be called the K3 (Korean market designation). The compact sedan was Kia's best-selling automobile in 2011 with more than 445,000 vehicles sold.

In creating the next generation Forte, Kia’s design teams focused on giving the next generation Forte an all-new futuristic style, with a more spacious cabin. The extended wheelbase 2014 Forte will be manufactured with an all-new bodyshell structure featuring the almost Kia patented Schreyer directed sleek profile, LED front and rear lamps and a chrome-finished beltline. Expect Forte sales to double when the 2014 arrives in early 2013 if priced appropriately.

Kia July 2012 Sales Results

Kia reported it achieved its best-ever July sales of 48,074 units, a 5.6 percent increase over the same period last year. Last months sales results is the 23rd month in a row of continuing sales increases. KMA's year-to-date sales are up 15.9 percent over 2011 due in large part to strong retail sales performances by the U.S.-built Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan.

Kia July 2012 Highlights and Overall Sales

Model	July-12	July-11	July-DSR % change	July-12 YTD	July-11 YTD	YTD-DSR % change
Rio	3,646	1,011	+290%	26,042	12,944	+201%
Forte	6,216	7,560	-10.9%	47,016	50,582	-7.0%
Sorento	10,045	13,262	-17.9%	67,569	75,040	-10.0%
Optima	13,317	6,772	+113%	86,475	43,389	+199%
Kia Totals	48,074	45,504	+14.5%	336,781	290,608	+15.9%

The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 24 days for June 2012 and 26 days for June 2011. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 178 days for both 2011 and 2012. All percentages reflect DSR.

Top 10 - July 2012 US Automobile Sales Leaders

Sales Rank	Make	Model	July-12	July-11	July-DSR % change	July-12 YTD	July-11 YTD	YTD-DSR % change
1	Ford	F-Series	49,314	49,104	+8.8%	350,455	313,183	+11.9%
2	Toyota	Camry	29,913	27,016	+20.0%	243,816	174,485	+39.7%
3	Chevrolet	Silverado	28,972	33,121	-5.2%	223,480	215,906	+3.5%
4	Honda	Accord	28,639	16,831	+84.3%	183,817	143,936	+27.7%
5	Nissan	Altima	26,602	21,340	+35.0%	183,703	153,182	+19.9%
6	Honda	Civic	25,004	14,006	+93.4%	187,586	141,577	+32.5%
7	Toyota	Corolla	23,640	17,577	+45.7%	175,366	154,324	+13.6%
8	Ram	P/U	23,824	20,311	+27.1%	162,405	132,209	+22.8%
9	Ford	Fusion	23,326	19,318	+30.8%	160,175	151,004	+6.1%
10	Ford	Escape	21,572	24,411	-4.3%	148,739	147,018	+1.2%

The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 24 days for July 2012 and 26 days for July 2011. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 178 days for both 2011 and 2012. All percentages reflect DSR.

Top 10 Sales Leaders - Items of note: Camry moved back to number 2 from 3 with the Chevrolet Silverado. F-Series missed the 50,000 mark after four straight months of topping that milestone. Malibu sales fell of a cliff dropping to just 12,345 units and dropping off the Top 10 list hard. Escape fell from 6th to 10th.

B-Segment Sales Rank

1. Nissan Versa - 7,451
2. Chevrolet Sonic - 6,278
3. Hyundai Accent - 5,257
4. Honda Fit - 4,608
5. Ford Fiesta - 4,059
6. Kia Rio - 3,646
7. Toyota Yaris - 1,271
8. Mazda2 - 905

C-Segment Sales Rank

1. Honda Civic - 25,004
2. Toyota Corolla - 23,640
3. Hyundai Elantra - 18,512
4. Ford Focus - 16,454
5. Chevrolet Cruze - 14,954
6. VW Jetta - 13,629
7. Nissan Sentra - 9,888
8. Mazda3 - 9,027
9. Kia Forte - 6,216

D-Segment Sales Rank

1. Toyota Camry - 29,913
2. Honda Accord - 28,639
3. Nissan Altima - 26,602
4. Ford Fusion - 23,326
5. Hyundai Sonata - 20,978
6. Kia Optima - 13,317
7. Chevrolet Malibu - 12,345
8. Chrysler 200 - 9,287
9. VW Passat - 9,007

Segment ranking items of note: In the B-Segment ranks, the Fit and Fiesta swapped positions while Yaris sales fell sharply. The C-Segment ranks did not change other than the Elantra jumping two places ahead of both the Focus and surprising quickly faltering Cruze. The D-Segment ranks saw the Malibu fall towards the bottom of the list.

Automobile Manufacturer's US Sales Rank – July 2012 vs. July 2011 Comparison and Total Sales

1. GM July Sales down 6.4% with 201,237 vehicles sold.
2. Ford July Sales down 3.5% with 173,966 vehicles sold.
3. Toyota July Sales up 26.1% with 164,898 vehicles sold.
4. Chrysler July Sales up 12.6% with 126,089 vehicles sold.
5. Honda July Sales up 45.3% with 116,944 vehicles sold.
6. Nissan July Sales up 16.2% with 98,341 vehicles sold.
7. Hyundai July Sales up 4.1% with 62,021 vehicles sold.
8. Kia July Sales up 5.6% with 48,074 vehicles sold.
9. VW July Sales up 27.3% with 37,014 vehicles sold.
10. BMW July Sales up 4.0% with 27,152 vehicles sold.
11. Subaru July Sales up 15.9% with 25,183 vehicles sold.
12. Mercedes-Benz July Sales up 5.8% with 22,294 vehicles sold.
13. Mazda July Sales down 7.0% with 19,318 vehicles sold.
14. Audi July Sales up 28.0% with 11,707 vehicles sold.

Through the first seven months of 2012, the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) is running at approximately 14 million.