Less than 30 years after making its debut in Britain with the Kia Pride, Kia Motors is celebrating a major milestone in January 2019, having sold its one millionth car to the UK market.
The vehicle in question went to a customer in Scotland, Dr Fergus Duncan, who is now the owner of a blue Sportage GT-Line.
Kia arrived in the UK in 1991 and sold 1,786 cars in that year. Last year, the Korean manufacturer's sales figure was 95,764, bringing its overall total to 998,069.
During its first decade in Britain the company sold just under 50,000 cars. The pace of sales picked up after Kia opened a plant in Slovakia in 2006, helping to deliver approximately 626,000 cars to the UK in the last eight years.
It is now a well-established name in Britain, with the Sportage one of the country's ten best-selling cars in 2018, putting Kia alongside the likes of Ford, Volkswagen, Vauxhall and Mercedes, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Other popular models include the Picanto, which has racked up 191,926 sales since 2004, and the Ceed, with 138,253 sold since 2007.
Paul Philpott, president and chief executive officer of Kia in the UK, said the one millionth sale was a "remarkable milestone" and a proud moment for the manufacturer.
"The Kia brand started in the UK with sensible, budget-focused vehicles but during the last decade in particular our customer base has grown on the back of outstanding design, unmatchable quality and the reassurance of our industry-leading seven-year warranty," he added.
Mr Philpott also noted that the journey to the two million mark is sure to be an exciting one, with the nature of the motoring world likely to change "quite considerably" over that time.
Discover the best Kia deals currently available on everything from the Sportage to the Ceed.