Kia Surpasses 50 Million Cumulative Sales, SUVs Are the Top Contributor

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] The key contributor to Kia's achievement of 50 million cumulative global sales is its sport utility vehicles (SUVs). As SUVs gain worldwide popularity, they are driving Kia's heyday.

According to Kia on the 3rd, the compact SUV Sportage surpassed 6 million units sold last year, becoming the best-selling single model in Kia's history. Since the launch of the first-generation model in 1993, the Sportage has been a core model leading Kia's global sales for nearly 30 years. Last year, it sold 359,308 units worldwide, ranking 7th in global SUV sales overall.

Kia plans to accelerate its global market strategy by launching the new Sportage this year. It is a complete redesign after six years since the release of the fourth-generation model in 2015. The new Sportage will feature a larger body size and a dynamic design compared to the previous model.

The large SUV Sorento is also gaining popularity. Sorento's cumulative sales reached 3.7 million units, ranking third after the Pride (3.92 million units). Sorento is highly regarded in the global market for its excellent fuel efficiency and dynamic driving performance.

Latest SUVs such as Telluride and Seltos are also steadily selling in overseas local markets. Since its launch in the U.S. in March 2019, the Telluride has sold over 180,000 units, and the Seltos has sold more than 170,000 units since its launch in the Indian market in August 2019, accounting for about 70% of Kia's sales in India.

Expectations for electric vehicles are also high. Kia's first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6, has received over 30,000 pre-orders, positioning it as a promising new flagship model for Kia.

Recent strong performance in the U.S. market is also notable. Hyundai Motor Group announced that combined sales of Hyundai and Kia (including Genesis) in the U.S. for May increased by 66.1% year-on-year to 174,043 units.

Hyundai sold 93,745 units in May, up 59% compared to the same month last year, with retail sales to general customers increasing by 54% to 84,351 units. It set a monthly sales record for three consecutive months.

Like Hyundai, Kia also achieved its highest sales for three consecutive months in the U.S. market. May sales rose 75.3% year-on-year to 80,298 units.

Sean Yoon, head of Kia North America, said that achieving the "triple crown" milestone with three consecutive months of record sales shows that "Kia continues to grow its market share."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.