South Korea’s second-largest carmaker Kia Motors Corp. said Monday that sales of its “K series” cars surpassed the 600,000 mark in China, the world’s biggest automotive market.

The figure was achieved just two-and-a-half years after the smallest of the trio of cars ― the K2 ― started reaching consumers and played a role in increasing sales of South Korean cars.

The K2, called the Pride in Kia’s home market and badged as the Rio in the United States and Europe, hit show windows across China in June 2011. It is also the best-selling Kia, with 333,047 of the subcompacts being bought by Chinese consumers, accounting for 53.5 percent of the 622,942 cars sold overall.

This was followed by 151,248 units of the K3 or Forte compact being sold in the vast, fast growing market, with the mid-size K5 Optima coming in third with sales hitting 138,204 units.

The carmaker, a sister brand to Hyundai Motor Co., said in the first 11 months of this year, it sold 498,888 vehicles in China with the K2, K3 and K5 models making up 61.7 percent of the total or 307,570 units.

“The on-year sales growth for this year surpassed solid gains tallied in 2012 when the company sold over 4.8 million cars worldwide,” a Kia representative said. He claimed the K series cars were fueling such strong growth.

The company, in particular, said its smaller-size models made in China were receiving positive reviews from local consumers. It pointed out that the K2 and K3 both ranked No. 1 in their respective car segments in a nationwide consumer satisfaction survey conducted by the China Association for Quality.

It said that one of the reasons for the strong sales is related to aggressive marketing efforts, which included the opening of a Kia cinema, to win over a younger generation of consumers born in the 1980s.

The carmaker, moreover, predicted that once its flagship K9 cars hit the Chinese market, there will be even greater brand recognition.

The premium K9, sold as the Quoris and K900 in various markets, is expected to reach China in 2014.

In addition, Kia said with the opening of its third production plant in China in the first half of next year, annual production volume will reach 730,000 units from 430,000 at present. The company hopes this bump in production will allow it to increase its market presence. (Yonhap News)