Kia has passed the 30,000 car sales in the UK due to the recently launched Picanto and Cerato, the company says.

Last year’s record sales figure of 21,000 units was passed back in the late summer but continued sales throughout the autumn have helped the company to a 1.25% market share for the year to date with a total of 30,006 units.

Kia managing director, Paul Williams says: "We have surpassed 2003 figures for every month of the year and with only December to go we are still aiming for a total of 33,000 sales this year.”