Latest news with #EricWatson
NZ Herald
03-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Eric Watson legal woes: New Zealand businessman vows to fight SEC to the end
Eric Watson. Photo / Greg Bowker Embattled Kiwi businessman Eric Watson has shrugged off the latest rejection of his campaign to throw out a US insider trading case against him, vowing to continue defending himself and pursue further civil action. This week, a New York court ruled against his bid to
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Kia's Sales Soar: Drivers Can't Get Enough of These 3 Models
Most automakers don't release monthly sales results, but Kia, a longstanding exception alongside its sister company, Hyundai, has posted promising delivery numbers for May. Last month, Kia sold 269,148 units, up 1.7% year-over-year. Outside of Korea, Kia moved 223,817 units, a 2.6% annual increase. Kia SUVs such as the Sportage, Seltos, and Sorento stood out in May, selling 48,091, 26,017, and 21,889 units, respectively, while combined sales of the K4 and K3 outside of Korea totaled 17,641 examples. One sedan, Kia's K5, has also been making a splash with a 256% year-over-year increase in May. Kia padded its sales by launching its EV3 electric SUV, which won World Car of the Year at the 2025 World Car Awards, alongside the EV4 electric sedan and the Tasman pickup. However, Kia's domestic sales experienced a 2.4% year-over-year decrease. The Sorento was the biggest hit in Korea during May, selling 7,734 units, followed by the Carnival MPV at 6,651 units and the Sportage at 5,295 units. Overall, this year held Kia's best Q1 numbers in history. In 2024, Kia sold over 780,000 units in the U.S.-the company's all-time high, Tork reports. The automaker's strong 2024 performance also marked the seventh consecutive year that it experienced retail sales growth. Increased quality, new models, and evolving brand perception are driving Kia's global sales success, but Kia's flagship all-electric model, the EV9, sold just 37 U.S. examples in May, representing a 98.3% year-over-year decline. Additionally, sales of Kia's electric EV6 have been down 40.8% in the U.S. during the first five months, nearing the EV9's 48.2% sales drop during the same period. Eric Watson, vice president of sales operations at Kia America, said that the EV9's new 2026 Nightfall Edition and the GT-Line model with a two-tone roof are among the incentives that should spur the model's sales growth. For its 4th of July event, Kia is selling the 2025 Niro EV with a 0% APR finance offer for 72 months and a $7,500 cash incentive. The brand also offers 1.9% APR for 60 months and a $500 cash bonus on select trims as part of its holiday specials. Kia has achieved success in recent years by transforming its image, with Peter Schreyer playing a central role as Chief Design Officer from 2006 to 2012 and Chief Design Officer of the Hyundai Motor Group, which oversees Kia, from 2012 to 2018. Before working at Kia, Schreyer was head of the Volkswagen Group's Potsdam, Germany, studio. In 2006, Schreyer was given the opportunity to rebuild Kia's design direction from scratch, with his modern, sleek, and balanced designs leading Kia's global annual sales increase from 1.6 million to 3 million units between 2009 and 2016, according to Autocar. One of the influential designer's key contributions to Kia was the wide tiger nose front grille with top and bottom indents in the center, something he describes as "a frontal element so strong that you wouldn't even need a Kia badge as an identifier." Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
KIA AMERICA POSTS EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF YEAR-OVER-YEAR SALES GROWTH
• 79,007 units sold in May, a 5-percent increase compared to previous year • Best-ever May performances for Telluride, Sportage, Carnival, and K4 • 2026 EV9 Nightfall Edition and EV9 GT-Line with two-tone roof now available in showrooms IRVINE, Calif., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia America delivered 79,007 total units in May – up 5-percent over the same period last year – and extended the fast-growing brand's streak of consecutive months of year-over-year sales growth to eight. Retail sales at Kia dealerships increased by 8-percent over May 2024 and are up 15-percent year-to-date, reinforcing the company's continuous growth trajectory in the marketplace. The Carnival MPV, which introduced a new hybrid model last year, saw a significant sales increase of 68-percent year-over-year. Additionally, popular SUV models such as Telluride (+12-percent) and Sportage (+10-percent), along with the sporty K4 sedan (+4-percent), all achieved their highest-ever May sales. "As the second half of the year approaches, Kia's market competitiveness continues to strengthen with eight consecutive months of sales growth. Kia's diverse powertrain lineup, including ICE, hybrids, and EVs, coupled with the strong and sustained customer interest in the brand's Telluride, Sportage, Carnival MPV, and K4 models have been some of the key drivers of the company's continued sales growth," said Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America. "And we anticipate this growth trajectory will continue with the 2026 EV9 Nightfall Edition and EV9 GT-Line with two-tone roof now available in showrooms nationwide. With new design elements – including a new two-tone roof, as well as enhancements in driving range and performance – the upgraded EV9 Nightfall Edition and the EV9 GT-Line with two-tone roof are set to better meet the expectations of customers looking for a three-row, all-electric SUV." In addition to the monthly sales performance, Kia America announced several initiatives, including: Kia America announced through its "Accelerate the Good" Dealer Match program, the company and its nationwide network of retailers raised a total of $4.6 million for non-profit organizations in 2024, including donations totaling more than $1.5 million each to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® and No Kid Hungry®. Now in its fourth year, the initiative continues to provide critical support for a wide variety of causes across the United States. The 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid has been recognized in list of Best Hybrids for the Money, taking the win in the Compact SUV category. This latest accolade marks the second consecutive year the Sportage Hybrid has been recognized. The Kia K4 sedan has been named a 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX award winner. The annual Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX competition evaluates new or heavily redesigned vehicle interiors and user-experience technology, with scoring based on a variety of metrics including design and aesthetics, comfort, materials, fit-and-finish, connectivity and infotainment, displays and controls, as well as advanced driver assist systems and value. For the 2025 awards, 34 vehicles were OF MAY MAY YTD Model 2025 2024 2025 2024 EV9 37 2187 4,016 7766 EV6 801 2,660 5,190 8,770 K4/Forte 13,870 13,132 63,970 59,115 K5 6,957 1,950 28,951 9,036 Soul 5,043 5,740 21,389 23,900 Niro 2,354 4,215 9,820 14,721 Seltos 5,254 6,460 20,677 26,915 Sportage 17,063 15,512 74,536 66,537 Sorento 9,093 8,826 43,888 39,738 Telluride 11,560 10,315 52,267 44,842 Carnival 6,975 4,151 27,952 17,277 Total 79,007 75,156 352,656 320,531 Kia America – about us Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World's Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and WNBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*. For media information, including photography, visit To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at * Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Kia America Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Sales of Hyundai, Kia vehicles rise 16 pc in US in April
Seoul: Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia said on Friday their combined vehicle sales in the United States surged 16 per cent in April from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 162,615 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up from 139,865 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. Hyundai's vehicle sales jumped 19 percent to 81,503 units from 74,111 over the cited period, while those of Kia advanced 14 percent to 74,805 from 65,754, reports Yonhap news agency. Hyundai's sales figures include those of its independent luxury brand, Genesis. Strong sales of Hyundai's Palisade and Santa Fe, as well as Kia's Telluride and Sportage SUV models contributed to the robust monthly performance. "Reporting sales records for seven consecutive months has bolstered the Kia brand even more and we remain dedicated to further strengthening our product lineup and enhancing customer satisfaction through ongoing innovation," Eric Watson, vice president in charge of sales operations at Kia America, said in a press release. To that end, Kia has officially begun production of the EV6 and EV9 at its manufacturing facility in Georgia, where both models qualify for federal tax incentives, he said. From January to April, the two carmakers sold a combined 582,527 autos in the U.S. market, up 12 percent from 519,067 units in the same period last year, the data showed. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor has introduced a revamped version of its Xcient heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell truck at a clean transport exhibition in the United States. The revamped Xcient is tailored to meet a wide range of customer needs, including port transportation and medium-distance logistics. It is powered by a 180 kilowatt-hour (kWh) hydrogen fuel cell system. For hydrogen storage, it is fitted with 10 tanks that together hold approximately 68 kilograms of hydrogen, enabling the vehicle to support a wide range of commercial transportation needs. -IANS na/
Korea Herald
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Sales of Hyundai, Kia in US rise 16% in April
Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Friday their combined vehicle sales in the United States surged 16 percent in April from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for sport utility vehicles. Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 162,615 vehicles in the US last month, up from 139,865 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. Hyundai's vehicle sales jumped 19 percent to 81,503 units from 74,111 over the cited period, while those of Kia advanced 14 percent to 74,805 from 65,754. Hyundai's sales figures include those of its independent luxury brand, Genesis. Strong sales of Hyundai's Palisade and Santa Fe, as well as Kia's Telluride and Sportage SUV models contributed to the robust monthly performance. "Reporting sales records for seven consecutive months has bolstered the Kia brand even more and we remain dedicated to further strengthening our product lineup and enhancing customer satisfaction through ongoing innovation," Eric Watson, vice president in charge of sales operations at Kia America, said in a press release. To that end, Kia has officially begun production of the EV6 and EV9 at its manufacturing facility in Georgia, where both models qualify for federal tax incentives, he said. From January to April, the two carmakers sold a combined 582,527 autos in the US market, up 12 percent from 519,067 units in the same period last year, the data showed. (Yonhap)
