For the eighth consecutive month, the model year 2011 Kia Sorento CUV was the best selling vehicle for Kia Motors America(KMA), according to the company's press release announcing their August sales figures.

KMA announced August sales of 32,465 vehicles. Of those, 9,038 were Sorentos. The August sales bring KMA's overall 2010 year-to-date sales to 237,953. That's a 9.7% increase, year-to-date, from the 2009 number of 216,947. KMA has sold 68,062 Sorentos so far in 2010.

Other top sellers for KMA include the following:

Soul.....august sales of 7,021 and year-to-date sales of 43,678.
Forte....August sales of 6,260 and year to date sales of 46,612
Model Year 2011 Sportage......August sales of 2,529

The Soul, Forte, Fort Coup, Sorento and MY 2011 Sportage  constitute  76.5% of Kia's August sales volume.

The Kia plant in West Point, Ga will also begin producing the Hyundai Santa Fe, build on the same platform as the Sorento. This will free up production capacity in Hyundai's Montgomery Alabama plant for the Sonata. This is great news for the Chattahoochee Valley. Click here to read more reporting from The Ledger's Chuck Williams, who spent time in West Point yesterday to get local reaction to the announcement.