Kia sold more than 100,000 cars in the UK for the first time in 2022, more than tripling its volumes in the market from just 15 years ago and setting it on a path to further growth.
In total, 100,191 Kia cars left showrooms, placing it sixth among all manufacturers, with a 6.2% market share. Its sales fell just 2000 units behind Toyota, in fifth place.
The manufacturer cited the Sportage, Niro and Xceed crossovers as the source of its success. The Sportage and Niro combined for 44,000 sales by the end of the third quarter of the year.
The Xceed, meanwhile, provided the brand with a late boost as the facelifted model arrived in showrooms as the year came to a close.
Of the cars Kia sold in the UK during 2022, 43% (42,987) had either a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full-electric powertrain.
Kia UK president and CEO Paul Philpott told Autocar Business how the company reached the milestone, including the challenges it had to overcome, and what’s next for the brand.
What was the plan?
“I started in 2007 when the brand was less than 30,000 sales per year. One hundred thousand was not a realistic target then. Once scrappage came along and took us past 50,000 in 2010/11, at that point we then had the momentum and the new cars, as well as the seven-year warranty across the board. Then 100,000 became the obvious next target. We never put a time on it, thankfully not as well due to Covid. I’ve said throughout that there are three main elements to actively sustainable growth and profits. One is to make the brand and the products desirable. Second is to have the best possible dealers, who are also profitable. And three is that once customers have bought into the brand, to make sure they stay with it. Though there have been different iterations of these, they have always stayed consistent.”
When did you think you’d get there? Has there ever been pressure to hit that number?