The 1,000,000th Kia cee’d has been manufactured by Kia Motors in Europe, a major milestone since starting production in 2006.

The cee’d has played a significant role in Kia’s sustained growth and success since its introduction to the European market nine years ago. The 1,000,000th cee’d to roll off Kia’s European production line was a high-powered Kia cee’d GT five-door hatchback in ‘White Pearl’. The car and its 204 ps 1.6-litre T-GDI engine were both produced in Slovakia – the car is destined for a buyer in the Netherlands.

Manufactured exclusively for the European market, at Kia’s state-of-the-art production facility in Žilina, Slovakia, the cee’d accounts for over 21% of Kia’s total European sales. More than 75,960 were sold in 2014, making the Kia cee’d the brand’s second best-selling model in Europe after the highly-acclaimed Sportage compact SUV, which is also produced in Žilina.

Later this year, Kia will launch the GT Line model to the range, which blends the style and sportiness of the cee’d GT and pro_cee’d GT with the versatility of the conventional cee’d model line-up. The new GT Line specification will be available for all three members of the Kia model family (five- and three-door hatchbacks and Sportswagon estate).

In addition, the new cee’d GT Line signifies the arrival of Kia’s all-new downsized 1.0-litre T-GDI (turbo gasoline direct injection) engine and new seven-speed double-clutch transmission in Europe. The new engine and transmission are engineered to improve fuel consumption and emissions while offering strong, willing performance and immediate responses to driver input

Last year, Kia produced over 323,000 cars and 493,000 engines in Slovakia, representing a 12-month production record for the company. Kia Motors Slovakia employs over 3,800 staff, working three shifts on the modern production line.