Kia’s smallest car, the Picanto, has become its biggest seller in Europe with almost 32,000 units delivered this year.

Figures for the 28 countries comprising Kia’s European sales division, confirm that the Picanto is now attracting 8,000 new customers each month and is bringing more ‘first-time’ buyers than ever to the Kia brand.

Total Kia sales in Europe for the first five months of 2005 reached 107,612 units, a 68% increase over the same period in 2004. The Picanto accounted for nearly 32,000 of these units followed by Sorento and Sportage.

Within a year of going on sale, Kia has sold 12,707 Picanto units in the UK. In the same period a 57.2% increase in UK market share to 1.5% puts the subsidiary first in terms of Kia’s overall sales in Europe.

Kia says it remains on course to hit 45,000 units sold by the end of the year.