Kia Motors Co., an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, along with Hyundai Motor, won the $15 billion Export Tower award at the 49th Trade Day ceremony on Dec. 5 at COEX in southern Seoul this year.

After the carmaker’s launch in 1944, it wasn’t until 1975 that it first exported its vehicles abroad °™ 10 Brisa sedans to Qatar. The carmaker’s overseas shipments of its vehicles continue to expand and reached 2.54 million units last year through the 4,500 dealers in 170 countries, including 20 overseas subsidiaries, placing it among the top 10 carmakers in the world. Its car exports amounted to $15 billion in value this year, which won the automaker the Trade Day award.

In the six years since achieving total exports of 5 million cars, the accumulated car exports for the motor company reached 10 million units, growing at an average annual growth rate of 13.1 percent, much higher than the average car export increase rate of 2.7 percent for all global car makers during the same period. The price per car rose to $12,600 in 2012 from $1,400 in 1975, up around nine times, expanding in both quality and quantity.

Despite the difficult economic conditions around the world precipitated by the European debt crisis and the continued U.S. economic slump, and uncertainty in the Middle East and Asia among other regions, which has constrained consumer spending, the carmaker improved the designs of its cars and quality management and expanded its dealer network around the world, especially in emerging market nations through dynamic marketing campaigns solidifying its position in the world.

Its efforts in the area of design have paid off as the carmaker swept all three of the biggest car design awards, including Red Dot, iF, and IDEA, leading to overseas sales of its cars rising to 2.5 million units last year from 1.4 million units in 2008, .

Kia Motors has been focusing on the development of environmentally friendly futuristic car models since its launch of Eco Dynamics, an environmentally friendly brand, with heavy investments in the project. The company has been expanding its social services around the world as a global automaker to do its given duty for society with a budget of 26.6 billion won.

The automaker plans to continue to invest in R&D activities, social services, and cooperative growth with its suppliers to continue to play a key role for the auto industry in Korea.