Kia Motors UK is hopeful of appointing a new managing director before the end of the year, sooner than previously stated.

The carmaker is believed to be considering a shortlist of six candidates.

Although the shortlist is being closely guarded, a spokesman says: “We would ideally like to have a new MD in place by the end of the year, as we’re about to launch Cee’d and it’s a very important launch for us.”

Although it has been run by its management board of eight Britons and four Koreans, the carmaker has been without a MD for almost five months, since Paul Williams left.

Williams has since resurfaced at Landwind Europe, as AM reported last issue.