Kia’s new Sportage SUV is tipped to be a “key player” in the Korean car maker’s drive to exceed 100,000 registrations in 2022.

New Kia UK marketing director Sanka De Silva highlighted the importance of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan Qashqai-rivalling SUV at its UK launch in Buckinghamshire this week.

“At 30% of the sales mix, it’s part of our success now and part of our growth aspirations in the future,” said De Silva, who took over from David Hilbert as he became marketing director for Europe.

He added: “Kia UK planned to deliver 90,000 cars in the UK in 2021 and we did that. Our aim is to get to 100,000 this year and Sportage is a big player in that.”

The Sportage, which has reigned supreme as the AM Awards Used Car of the Year every year since 2016, continued it meteoric sales rise in its previous generation.