Kia ranks 2nd in Jan.-Aug. auto sales in Britain on strong demand for Sportage SUV

Kia Motors Corp.'s sales in Britain ranked second in the January-August period, helped by strong demand for its Sportage sport utility vehicle (SUV), industry data showed Monday. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the Korean automaker sold 76,850 vehicles in Britain during the eight-month period, up 2.3 percent from the same period last year. Kia ranked second behind Volkswagen, which sold 111,830 vehicles, the data showed. Kia was the only Asian automaker to rank among Britain's top five sellers during the period, moving up one spot from a year earlier and surpassing European brands, such as BMW and Audi. Kia's sales in Britain have steadily increased, surpassing 100,000 units for four consecutive years. Its annual sales came to 100,191 vehicles in 2022, 107,765 in 2023, 112,252 in 2024 and 113,436 in 2025. If the strong sales trend continues through the end of this year, Kia's annual sales in Britain are expected to surpass the 100,000 mark for the fifth straight year and set a new annual sales record. The Sportage ranked second among individual models in Britai