Kia Corporation today announced total global sales for May 2024 of 264,313 units, a 2.1% decrease year over year (May 2023: 270,009 units). Sales outside of the home market of Korea were down 0.6% compared with the same period in 2023, to 217,819 units (excluding special purpose vehicles).
In the home market of Korea, Kia recorded sales of 46,110 units, an 8.3% decrease YoY (May 2023: 50,275 units). The Sorento SUV led the company’s passenger vehicle sales in its home market, recording 7,487 sales. The Carnival MPV and Sportage SUV followed, with 7,211 and 6,644 units respectively.
In terms of model-wise global sales, the Sportage SUV was the top seller with 52,669 units in May. The Seltos SUV recorded global sales of 27,644 units, to which the India market contributed 6,736 units or 24 percent. The Sorento SUV sold 22,610 units globally last month. Kia India, which dispatched 19,500 utility vehicles in May 2024, contributed to 7.37% of its parent company’s global sales last month.
India: strategic global market for Kia
In terms of cumulative sales for the first five months of the current calendar year, Kia’s global sales add up to 12,84,957 units, down 1% YoY (January-May 2023: 12,97,657 units). Kia India, Kia Corporation’s manufacturing arm in India, sold a total of 104,837 units between January and May 2024, down 10% YoY (see data table below). Kia India’s sales accounted for 8.15% of Kia’s global sales of 1.28 million units in the year to date, marginally down on the 9% it had contributed in the year-ago period.
Kia India’s sales of 104,837 units between January and May 2024 account for 8.15% of Kia’s global sales of 1.28 million units.
In the first five months of CY2024, Kia India’s best-selling product is the Sonet compact SUV with 44,716 units, followed by the Seltos (34,038 units), Carens MPV (26,061 units) and the all-electric e6 MPV (22 units).