IRVINE, Calif., October 5, 1999 - Kia sales reached a significant milestone in September as the car company passed the 100,000-unit mark for calendar year 1999. With a total of 11,846 sales for the month, Kia sales were up 61 percent versus September 1998. In its six-year history in the United States, Kia has sold more than 300,000 vehicles; one-third of those have been sold this calendar year.

September sales of the Sportage sport-utility vehicle exploded to 4,639 vehicles, a 98-percent increase from last September. Sportage 2-Door Convertible sales for the month were up 78 percent to 372 units. September sales of the Sephia compact sedan were 6,835, an increase of 42 percent over those of the same month last year. Kia's year-to-date sales of 102,678 through the first nine months of 1999 are 56 percent higher than in 1998.

Kia Motors America is the sales, marketing and service arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea.