With the introduction of the Seltos, the South Korean automaker Kia made its debut in the Indian market. Since then, the automaker's model lineup and customer base have grown significantly, leading to significant growth in the domestic market. As a result, the brand is now the quickest to reach a million units sold in the domestic market among automakers. In particular, the brand has exceeded one million users in just 59 months of launch in the country. The brand is currently in its fifth year of operation in the country.
The brand has achieved the number with the assistance of Kia Seltos, according to the most recent announcement. Of all Indian market sales, mid-size SUVs account for 48%. Taking second and third place, respectively, with 34% and 16% of the total, are Sonet and Carens.
If we go into more detail, the South Korean brand states that 42% of its total sales originate from the highest trim levels of the cars. Furthermore, the automatic gearbox vehicles that the brand offers—IVT, 6AT, and 7DCT—account for 32% of the total sales. Additionally, the brand used iMT with Sonet in 2020, accounting for 15% of total sales. In contrast, petrol vehicles accounted for 41% of total sales, with diesel vehicles accounting for 59%.
Joonsu Cho, Chief Sales Officer of Kia India, commented on the achievement, "We have been achieving milestones constantly since our launch in record time. These milestones become even more important when you face diversity at every step of this country and competition from legacy players with more than a decade of experience."
He added "Achieving 1 million domestic sales is a testament to our continued focus on the Indian market and the need gap of the Indian customers. My heartfelt thanks to all our customers who have shown trust in our brand and made us one of the most loved carmakers in the country."
