A new Kia Cerato model is introduced for Vietnamese market. 14,000 Kia cars were sold in the first six months this year in Viet Nam. — VNS Photos Cong Thanh

QUANG NAM (Biz Hub)— Kia has become the second best-selling brand in the Vietnamese market, after selling 14,000 cars in the first half of 2016, a 56 per cent growth over last year.

The national sales figure made a modest contribution to the overall figure of 1.5 million Kia cars being sold globally in the first six months of this year.

In June alone, 2,200 Kia cars were sold in Viet Nam, marking the ninth month in a row when the sales volume exceeded 2,000 vehicles.

More than 100,000 Kia models have been sold in the Vietnamese market since Kia Motors and the local Truong Hai Automobile JSC (Thaco) signed a co-operation agreement in 2007.

Kia Motors has introduced a new luxury model, Kia Quoris, in the Vietnamese market, marking its ninth model in Viet Nam. In May, Kia Motors awarded Thaco with the Best Global Partner title.

According to Kia Motors, Viet Nam has always been its primary market in the Southeast Asian region and Asia in general, and the company would continue to introduce its latest car models under its global brand development strategy, featuring luxury designs, high-tech equipment and safety and protection protocols. — VNS