Kia crossover Soul to hit China market this week

Shanghai, December 15 (Gasgoo.com) Dongfeng Yueda Kia, a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Corp and S. Korea's Kia Motors Corp, is set to launch the Kia crossover model Soul to the Chinese market on December 18, media reported.

The Kia Soul crossover will come with the 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter options, with the retail price starting from 80,000 yuan ($11,700). The locally-made Soul is on the way to some Kia China dealerships, where ordering for the car has started.

Dongfeng Yueda Kia currently produces the compact Kia Forte (new Cerato), subcompact Rio, mid-sized Optima, Sportage SUV and Carnival MPV. The launch of its Soul crossover will help the company meet the soaring demand for Kia vehicles.

The joint venture saw its November sales almost triple from a year earlier to 28,067 units, with its sales exceeding 20,000 units in six straight months.

From January to November, Dongfeng Yueda Kia's sales surged by 66% to almost 210,000 cars, including 91,178 units of its compact Forte/Cerato, the company's best-selling model.

The company expects its sales to grow by 62% this year to 230,000 cars. Dongfeng Yueda Kia says it is aiming to sell 330,000 cars next year.