Kia India registers steady growth

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  • Clocks 2.28 lakh cumulative sales in CY2021 and crosses 4.5 lakh sales mark since August 2019
  • Global Unveiling of Carens in Dec’21 shows brands’ long-term commitment to the Indian market
  • 1,81,583 domestic sales and 46,261 exports in CY 2021
  • Ranks amongst top 5 car manufacturers in 2021, with 6% domestic market share in the PV segment

Chennai: Kia India, the fastest-growing carmaker in the country, registered cumulative sales of 2,27,844 units in CY 2021, including domestic sales of 1,81,583 units, despite the supply-related headwinds throughout the year. With over 29% Y-o-Y growth in domestic sales, the company ranked amongst the top 5 car manufacturers in the country with a 6% market share in the domestic market in the calendar year. December 2021 saw sales of 7,797 units, with Seltos continuing to be the top contributor with 4,012 units while Sonet and Carnival added 3,578 and 207 units, respectively. With the global unveiling of the Kia Carens, the fourth product for the company, Kia India reiterated its continued commitment to the Indian market.

In CY2021, the company also shipped 46,261 units, highlighting a Y-o-Y growth of 23% in exports. Since the commencement of sales operation in India, Kia has exported 96,242 units, taking the cumulative sales of 4.5 Lakh units in under 2.5 Years.

Commenting on Kia’s consistent strong performance, Mr. Tae-Jin Park, MD and CEO, Kia India said,“It brings us great joy to see Kia India going from strength to strength in a year punctuated by supply-side issues and rise in the cost of raw material. We have sold more than 3.7 lakh units since entering the Indian automotive market in August 2019, a remarkable feat for a new entrant; not just that, till date, we have exported to around 90 countries across the world. Kia India has always focused on providing quality after-sales services to our esteemed customers. Topping the Dealer Satisfaction Study 2021 and 2020 in a row and Customer purchase satisfaction by NCBS 2020 demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the same.”

He further added, “The constant support that we have been getting from our valued customers underscores our endeavour to introduce products which are customized to suit the requirement of Indian car buyers. Our next product, the Kia Carens, follows the same philosophy and commitment. Its sophisticated technology and premium features will help in redefining family commuting in India. We express heartfelt gratitude to all our customers for bestowing their faith in the company and commit to remain focused on the growth of the Indian automotive market and create newer benchmarks in 2022.”

The CY21 has been a year of celebration for Kia India, with Seltos and Sonet both attaining 200,000 and 100,000 sales respectively since their introduction in the market. Clocking sales of 1.7 lakh connected cars to date, Kia India emerged as a popular choice amongst tech-savvy customers. The Seltos, with 98,168-unit sales, Carnival, with more 4,178 unit sales, and the Sonet with over 79,309 unit sales, became healthy contributors to Kia India’s total sales in the past Calendar Year.

Kia’s Outlook for 2022:

The company remains optimistic about 2022 with the aim of full utilisation of the plant in the year. Alongside, a successful launch of the Kia Carens in Q1 2022 also remains the company’s focus. Kia India foresees the supply chain constraint to stay intact in early 2022 but hopes that the semiconductor production and supply will start improving from second quarter onwards.