• Bloomberg, Automotive News, Thursday, November 18, 2010 10:37 AM

Cheap prices and whimsical commercials starring rodents driving the Soul and characters from the children's show "Yo Gabba Gabba!" have propelled Kia to a 15% sales gain this year, Alan Ohnsman and Sookyung Seo report, even though it dropped 10 places to 25th in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study and Consumer Reports recommends only three of eight models.

"People are looking for value in this market, and they're looking at brands they might not have considered in the past," explains IHS Automotive analyst Rebecca Lindland. "The advertisements are so good and are helping to create a buzz for the models."

Automotive News' Ryan Beene reports that the Korean automaker will tout its redesigned Optima sedan in a Super Bowl ad in February. The strategy is similar to Kia's launch of the 2010 Sorento crossover, which also included a Super Bowl ad. "We saw with the Sorento launch that it really helped build the awareness of the vehicle," says Michael Sprague, vp of marketing for Kia Motors America.

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