THE new registration period will be of particular interest to Kia this year as it has just launched its most important car ever.
The new Kia cee'd has been designed in Europe, is being built in Europe and is aimed at European drivers.
It puts Kia fairly and squarely in competition with best sellers like the Vauxhall Astra, VW Golf and Peugeot 307, but the Korean car maker claims each cee'd model will be up to £2,000 cheaper than its equivalent competitor.
The five door hatchback comes in four trim levels and even the lowest spec LX models have six airbags, anti-lock braking, speed sensing automatic door locks and a trip computer.
There is a choice of five engines, two petrol - a 104bhp 1.4-litre and a 114bhp 1.6-litre - and three diesel. The diesels include two 1.6-litre models - a 90bhp and a 114bhp - as well as a two-litre.
Prices start from £11,000 and the cee'd comes with an unprecedented seven year, 100,000-mile warranty.
The Kia stable is probably the newest in the motor industry. Its oldest model is now the Picanto which is barely two years old.
The Picanto is the smallest model in the Kia range and has been very popular with motorists looking for a small, low priced supermini. Prices start from just £5,857 for the one-litre fiver door model.
At the other end of the scale is the hefty 4x4 Sorento, the off-roader which is priced from just £17,762 yet is very similar in style and appearance to off-roaders from so-called prestige manufacturers costing twice as much.
For anyone looking for a smaller 4x4 the second generation Sportage is proving to be a big seller. This Freelander-size station waggon comes with a choice of either two-litre petrol or two-litre diesel engine and prices start from just over £15,000.
Kia has also made its name as a manufacturer of people movers, offering the full sized Sedona MPV and the medium sized Carens.
Again the Carens is available with the two-litre petrol or diesel engines while the Sedona comes with either a 2.7-litre petrol V6 or 2.9-litre diesel power plant.
Other Kia models include the Rio and Cerato hatchbacks and the large Magentis saloon.