The ball is in Kia's court at Australian Open

January 2012

South Korean car manufacturer Kia has just celebrated its 11th year as sponsor of the Australian Open.

To mark the start of the renowned tennis event, Kia handed over almost 100 cars as part of the courtesy fleet for the event.

"The Australian Open is the biggest sporting event in the world in January, and I'm pleased to again accept the fleet of Kia vehicles which will effectively keep the tournament moving over the next few weeks," Tennis Australia's CEO Steve Wood said.

According to Mr Wood, the cars will carry 215 volunteers over 400,000 km during the two-week event.

The courtesy fleet features a number of models, including the Kia Sorento SUV and the all-new Kia Rio.

Since becoming a sponsor back in 2002, Kia has increased car sales to now occupy 2.5 per cent of the Australian market, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2011 Kia sales reached 25,000 in a calendar year for the first time ever, confirming Kia as one of the top car brands in the country.