AUTOMOBILES : Korean Kias Hit the Road
Compiled by John O'Dell, Times staff writer
Irvine-based Kia Motors America sold its first retail cars last week as the Kia Sephia four-door sedan officially went on sale Thursday at four stores in Portland, Ore. Company officials said that official numbers aren’t available yet, but that about 20 cars were delivered to customers that day. One of the dealerships, Ron Tonkin Chevrolet-Geo-Kia, said it delivered four of the eight $9,000 to $13,000 Sephias that its customers had ordered in advance of the official sales launch.
The Korean car maker, which set up its U.S. headquarters in Orange County more than a year ago, doesn’t plan to have any dealers in California until the end of March, when a San Diego dealership opens. The first Los Angeles and Orange County stores open in April.
