Mumbai. Kia India, which celebrates its fifth year in India this year, announced achieving the milestone of 10 lakh units sold in the domestic market. The fastest growing premium carmaker in India has achieved this feat within 59 months. The company’s flagship model Kia Seltos has played a key role in this success, contributing over 48% of the company’s total domestic sales. Seltos is followed by Sonet and Carens which contribute 34% and 16% to Kia India’s total domestic sales respectively.
After its launch in 2019, the company revolutionized the Indian automotive industry with its futuristic technology and cutting-edge design, making it one of the most aspirational car brands in the country. With 42% of sales coming from its top trims, Kia India broke the myth that India is only a cost-conscious market. With its judicious product interventions and trim strategy, Kia has also promoted automatic and latest transmission technology in India. Currently, Kia India offers 3 automatic transmissions – IVT, 6AT and 7DCT – which contribute to 32% of total sales. The company also launched iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) with Sonet in 2020 which contributes 15% to domestic sales. The company’s petrol to diesel ratio is currently 59%:41%.
Mr. Junsu Cho, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India said, “We have consistently achieved milestones in record time since our launch. These milestones become even more significant when you face competition from established players with diversity and over a decade of experience at every step in this country. Achieving 10 lakh domestic sales is a testimony to our continued focus on the Indian market and the gap in Indian customer needs. My heartfelt thanks to you for trusting our brand and making us one of the most preferred car manufacturers in the country.”
He further added, “Kia is synonymous with innovation. With our latest technology, design and in-car features, we constantly challenge established practices not only in India but also globally. We will soon launch our global flagship in India this year, followed by an indigenous new model that will prove this claim. India is a rich land for automotive companies and with our innovative and ambitious products and services, we are confident of becoming one of the key catalysts of growth of the Indian automotive industry.”
The company started with an annual sales volume of 45,226 units in 2019, which increased to 1,40,505 units in 2020, 1,81,583 units in 2021 and 2,54,556 units in 2022. Last year, Kia strengthened its presence with annual sales of 2,55,000 units. So far, Kia has sold around 1.5 lakh units in the domestic market in the first 7 months of 2024, indicating a healthy growth in the upcoming festive season. The brand has expanded its presence in the country with an extensive network of 588 touchpoints across 256 cities.
India is also a significant export base for Kia Corporation, with Kia India exporting over 2.6 lakh units to over 100 export markets. Kia India’s total sales (including overseas sales) stand at around 1.3 million units.
