Kia Sells 3.08 Million Units Domestically and Internationally Last Year... Record High

Record Sales in 9 Years After 3.038 Million Units in 2014
Domestic 563,000 · Overseas 2,516,000 Units... 6.3% Increase YoY
Top Selling Models: Sportage, Seltos, Sorento in Order

Kia announced on the 3rd that it sold 3,085,771 vehicles domestically and internationally last year. This is the highest annual sales figure since it began selling cars in 1962.

Domestically, it sold 563,660 units. Overseas sales reached 2,516,383 units, and 5,728 special vehicles were sold. Compared to 2022 (2,901,797 units), this represents a 6.3% increase.

Kia Hwaseong Plant EV6 Production Line
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

The previous annual sales record was 3,038,552 units in 2014. At that time, 465,200 units were sold domestically and 2,573,352 units overseas. Looking only at domestic sales, the previous highest record was 552,400 units in 2020. Strong domestic demand supported the setting of this new record.

The best-selling model worldwide was the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) Sportage, with 523,502 units sold. It was followed by the Seltos (344,013 units) and Sorento (242,892 units). Domestically, the Sorento was the top seller with 85,811 units. The Carnival (69,857 units) and Sportage (69,749 units) ranked second and third, respectively.

Overseas, new annual sales records were set in the United States, Europe, and India. Sales in the U.S. reached 823,910 units, Europe 606,788 units, and India 255,000 units. Previously, the highest annual sales in these markets were recorded in 2022, but new records were set within just one year.

Kia Gwangju Flagship Store
Photo by Yonhap News, Hyundai Motor Group

The company announced its sales target for this year as 3.2 million units: 530,000 domestically, 2,663,000 overseas, and 7,000 special vehicles. Compared to last year’s performance, domestic sales are expected to slightly decrease while overseas sales are projected to increase modestly. The annual sales target of 3.2 million units was also set at the beginning of last year. If sales increase by about 3.7% this year, the target will be achieved.

The company plans to launch affordable battery electric vehicles such as the EV3 and EV4 this year, while enhancing product competitiveness based on connectivity technology. It also intends to refine its purpose-built vehicle (PBV) business and maintain profitability-focused sales principles to solidify its position as a leading electrification brand.

A company official stated, "Last year, the semiconductor parts supply disruption eased, allowing us to increase production volume and expand supply. With the completion of the Gwangmyeong electric vehicle dedicated plant, we will start selling the compact electric vehicle EV3 and strengthen our position in the global electric vehicle market."

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