Kia completes 5 years in India, achieves 1 million domestic sales milestone driven by Seltos 

Kia India announced the achievement of domestic sales of 1 million units within 59 months of its entry in India. The Korean carmaker just completed its 5-year stay in the country.  

Its flagship product, Kia Seltos, has been a significant success driver for the company, accounting for over 48 percent of its total domestic sales.  Sonet and Carens contribute 34 percent and 16 percent to Kia India’s total domestic dispatches, respectively.   

Commenting on the milestone, Joonsu Cho, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India, said, “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. 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.” 

Apart from Hyudai, another South Korean company, Kia has been able to successfully crack the cost-conscious Indian market with tailor-made products. 

Currently, Kia India offers three automatic transmissions – IVT, 6AT and 7DCT- which contribute 32 percent of its total sales. Kia also launched iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) with Sonet in 2020, contributing 15 percent to its domestic dispatches. The company's Petrol to Diesel ratio remains at 59 percent:41 percent currently.    

“Kia is synonymous with innovation. With our latest technology, design, and in-car features, we constantly challenge established practices, not only in India but globally as well. We will soon launch our global flagships in India this year, followed by a home-grown new model, which will prove the above claim. India is a thriving ground for automotive companies, and with our innovative and aspirational products and services, we are sure to be one of the major catalysts to the growth of the Indian Automotive Industry,” Cho added.  

The company started with an annual sales volume of 45,226 units in 2019, which grew to 140,505 units in 2020, 181,583 units in 2021 and 254,556 units in 2022. Last year, Kia solidified its presence with annual sales of 255,000 units. Until now, Kia has sold almost 1.5 Lakh units in the first 7 months of 2024 in the domestic market. The brand has expanded its footprint in the country with a wide network of 588 touchpoints across 256 cities.  

India is also a significant export base for Kia Corporation, with Kia India dispatching over 2.6 lakh units to over 100 export markets. Kia India’s cumulative sales (Including overseas dispatches) stand at almost 1.3 million units.   

Till date, Kia India has launched five vehicles for the Indian market – the Seltos, the Carnival, the Sonet, the Carens, and the EV6. Kia India has completed almost 1.3 million vehicle dispatches from its Anantapur plant, including over 1 million domestic sales and over 2.5 lakh exports.