Kia India races past 1 million sales in 5 years; Seltos remains power player

Kia India on Thursday informed it has crossed one million sales milestone in the domestic market in the five years - 59 months to be precise- of its presence here. The South Korean company touched down on Indian shores in 2019 with the launch of the Kia Seltos which remains a formidable offering in the mid-size SUV space.

Although it traces its roots back to the 1940s, Kia entered India just months before the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic broke out across the world. The Seltos became an instant hit in a segment dominated by Hyundai Creta. And while Creta continues to wear the crown in the segment, the Seltos managed to help Kia establish a firm foothold in the country. The company informs that the Seltos accounts for 48% of its total domestic sales.

Also watch: Kia Seltos 2023: First drive review

But while Seltos remains a hot-seller for Kia, models like Sonet and Carens have been fairly well received too. The Sonet competes in the sub-compact SUV space and accounts for 34 per cent of total domestic sales of the company, while the Carens is a key player in the three-row utility vehicle segment and has a 16 per cent share in the Kia India sales. But while all of these models are manufactured locally, Kia EV6 is the flagship product which is sold via the import route. It is also the only all-electric model offered by Kia in India at present, although the likes of EV9 flagship SUV is scheduled for a launch here as well.

Kia's India journey

Kia touched down in India in 2019 when the vehicle market here was the fifth largest in the world. The Seltos was its initial model of choice and the company quickly established a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. At the time, the facility had an annual production capacity of 300,000 units each year, taking up to 350,000 by 2022. The company is targeting an annual production capacity of 400,000 by FY2025.

In terms of sales, Kia India reported annual sales volume of 45,226 units in 2019, 140,505 units in 2020, 181,583 units in 2021, and 254,556 units in 2022. In 2023, Kia India reported sales of 255,000 units. In the ongoing calendar year, the company has sold 1.5 lakh units in seven months. The company has also been expanding its sales and service network, and has 588 touchpoints in 256 cities in the country.

The company followed the launch and success of Seltos by driving out the Carnival premium SUV but it failed to notch up respectable sales numbers and this led to its eventual ouster from the portfolio. But while reports suggest Carnival can make a comeback, it is the Sonet and Carens that continue to shoulder the weight of expectations with Seltos.

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