The brand sold 21,608 cars in the UK during the first quarter of 2014, up 12.5% year on year and with the recently refreshed Sportage as its biggest seller. March was also a record month, the biggest ever for Kia in the UK, with 14,787 cars delivered.

In recognition of this, the range has gained a new flagship model. As pioneered by the Sportage in 2012, the Sorento SUV – which has traditionally had a top-heavy demand in the UK – now includes a KX-4 trim level with 19-inch alloy wheels and a chrome-lined silver mesh grille, parallel park assist, a memory function on the driver’s seat and retractable rear sun blinds.

Equipped with the 2.2-litre diesel engine, the Sorento KX-4 emits 178g/km CO2 and is priced at £36,495 on the road – £1,200 more than the popular KX-3 model.

Extra equipment is also added to the pro_cee’d coupe, now available as an SE Tech version with heated black half-leather seats, parallel park assist, an electric sunroof and LCD dashboard display. The pro_cee’d SE Tech is priced at £22,795, and uses the same 112g/km, 65.7mpg 1.6-litre diesel as the SE version.

The fourth trim level has also been added to the Picanto city car and Rio supermini, both of which feature an electric sunroof, heated steering wheel and smart entry among their additional equipment, while Rio 4 models also include leather upholstery.

A four-speed automatic gearbox is now also available on petrol versions of the Picanto and Rio 3, priced at £11,045 and £15,100 respectively. Targeting urban customers who spend lots of time in traffic jams, the Picanto emits 125g/km CO2 and returns 53.3mpg with the automatic gearbox (109g/km and 60.1 for the manual), while the Rio offers 44.1mpg and emits 150g/km (51.4mpg and 124g/km for the manual).

Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia Motors (UK) Limited, said: ‘This is a fantastic performance by our dealers and I am particularly pleased that it is retail customers who represent our single biggest audience with nearly 60% of sales going to private buyers.

‘Equally satisfying is that corporate sales through our dealers are also very strong as this ensures network profitability and growth – a major target in our growth strategy.’