Kia Motors America (KMA) capped a record-setting year with best-ever December sales of 45,587 vehicles – up 35.6 percent over the same period in 2013 – and the highest annual sales total in company history of 580,234 vehicles, up 8.4 percent year-over-year and 4.0 percent over the previous record set in 2012. Leading the historic performance were the U.S.-built* Optima, which established a new single nameplate record of 159,020 units, and the iconic Soul, which saw sales increase for the fifth straight year.

"Kia's momentum consistently outpaced the industry throughout 2014, and we finished strong with showroom traffic surging in December thanks to rising consumer confidence, historically low gas prices, and one of the youngest and best-looking lineups in the industry," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing, KMA. "More customers turned to Kia last year than ever before as we celebrated our 20th anniversary in the U.S., and our record-breaking performance demonstrates the speed at which our brand has transformed and matured into a proven leader in design, quality, technology and value."