Kia India began operations in India in September 2019 and the automaker has been one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. The Korean giant has now achieved a new milestone with its sales crossing the five lakh mark in just 2.5 years of operations. Kia India announced that the automaker sold four lakh units in the domestic market, while one lakh units were exported from its Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh. Kia exports its SUVs to over 91 countries worldwide and also became the number one UV exporter in the country with a market share of 25 per cent last year.
The Kia Seltos is the brand’s bestseller, followed by the Sonet SUV
Speaking on achieving the landmark figure, Tae-Jin Park, MD and CEO, Kia India, said, “Half a million is a big number and we are proud to have attained this milestone in less than 2.5 years. Ever since our inception in India, we have focused on providing great value to our customers through our ground-breaking products and services. Today, Kia is a part of 4 lakh Indian families and we are extremely grateful for the affection bestowed upon us by our esteemed customers. Now, with the Carens already launched, we are confident of achieving our next milestones at a much faster pace, creating new benchmarks that will chart the course of our growth journey in the country.”
Kia India builds the Seltos and Sonet at its Anantapur facility for India and the world. Out of the one lakh units exported, the company previously revealed that the Seltos contributed 77 per cent to the volume while the remaining 23 per cent came from the Kia Sonet.
The Kia Carens is expected to be a strong volume-oriented product for the company
Kia’s offerings have been a blockbuster right from the launch with the bulk of the volumes coming from the Seltos and Sonet SUVs. Both offerings are made in India and made for India, while the brand flagship, Kia Carnival brings in modest numbers. More recently, Kia introduced its fourth offering in the form of the Carens MPV, which is off to a flying start, thanks to its competitive pricing starting at ₹ 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The Kia Carens MPV is expected to further boost the automaker’s sales. The manufacturer has turned out to be the fifth-largest player in terms of volumes in India in a short span of time. As of January 2022, the company sold 19,319 units, only a few hundred units less than Mahindra with 19,860 units for the same period. The top three players remain, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors.
Highlights
- Kia commenced operations in India in September 2019
- The Seltos & Sonet are the brand’s biggest sellers in India & for exports
- The Carens is Kia’s newest offering & expected to contribute to volumes
Keyword: Kia India Sales Cross The 5 Lakh Mark In 2.5 Years