Kia sells 2 lakh Seltos in 2 years; adds 1.5 lakh connected cars to Indian roads

 

• Seltos crosses 2,00,000 sales mark, emerging as a breakthrough product,  driving Kia’s success in India
• The brand drives connected car revolution by selling 1.5 Lakh UVO enabled cars across its portfolio

 

New Delhi, August 20, 2021: Kia India, the fastest-growing carmaker of the country, celebrates two years of its India operations with three back-to-back milestones in a row. Soon after achieving the tag of the fastest carmaker to record three lakh sales in India, Kia rejoices the two lakh sales mark of its flagship product for the country – the Seltos. The company also affirms a leading position in the connected car revolution with 1.5 lakhs connected cars sold.

Contributing over 66% of KIN's total sales, the Seltos has been a trendsetter model, which disrupted and led the innovation in the Mid-SUV segment, thereby fuelling the segment's growth. While 58% of Seltos sales come from its top variants, the automatic options of the vehicle contribute to more than 35%. The Seltos customers also show their affinity towards diesel powertrain, which adds a healthy 45% to the overall matrix. The newly launched iMT variant of the Seltos has also seen a lot of traction in less than four months of its launch.

On the other hand, 1.5 Lakh Connected Cars sales affirm the brand's technological advancement and understanding of the vast Indian market. While the Seltos remains the flagbearer of this achievement as well, contributing over 78%, the Sonet accounts for over 19% of the total connected Kia sales. The Seltos HTX 1.5 Petrol variant is the customers' preference to drive a connected Kia home.

Speaking on the milestones, Mr. Tae-Jin Park, Executive Director and Chief Sales & Business Strategy Officer, Kia India said, “Success milestones are always a huge boost to motivation as it enhances our passion for serving customers better. These back-to-back milestones are a testament to our commitment to bringing a revolution in the auto industry and catering to the new age, young-at-heart dynamic buyers with class-leading premium products. The Indian PV market is undergoing a transformation due to changing customer trends, increased desire for the latest features, and cutting-edge connected-car technology. We have made a conscious decision to launch game-changing products in popular segments introducing customers to a whole new experience of owning a Kia. Witnessing such immense love and trust for brand Kia in just two years is truly humbling for us.”

Kia India has introduced many firsts in the Indian automobile industry and has achieved several milestones in a brief period. Kia entered the country when the Indian automotive industry was already going through a slowdown coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic just a few months from its first launch. However, the company was quick to respond to the changing trends and evolved itself to offer safe and secure experiences and cater to the developing needs of today's customers. Kia opted for a 'Phygital' model with both digital and traditional brick and mortar sales set up with everything except test drives, car pick-up, drop, and deliveries. The company recently introduced an integrated solution app called 'Kia Digi-Connect,' an industry-first video-based live sales consultation solution. With its customer-centricity and innovation-first approach, Kia offers a plethora of options for an enhanced ownership experience. Its three segment-leading products are complemented by an excellent accessibility through its current network footprint of 300 touchpoints.

Kia India – about us
In April 2017, Kia India signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility at Anantapur District. Kia commenced mass production in August 2019 and has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. In April 2021, Kia India reimagined itself in line with its new brand identity, “Movement that Inspires” aimed at offering customers meaningful experiences backed by innovative products and services. Under the new brand identity, Kia has set out to find ways to achieve new benchmarks and inspire consumers to be more and do more. Till date, Kia India has launched three vehicles for Indian market – the Seltos, the Carnival and the Sonet; and has become the youngest brand to be the 4^th largest automaker in India with class-leading product offering, service quality and reliability. Kia India became the fastest automaker to reach the historic milestone of registering 2.5 lakh unit sales in just over one and half years of its operation. Kia is leading the connected car evolution in India and with over 1.4 lakh cars on Indian roads, it is the connected SUV Leader. The brand has a widespread network of 300 customer touchpoints and is focused on strengthening its footprints across the country.

Kia Corporation – about us

Kia (www.kia.com) is a global mobility brand with a vision to create sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities, and societies around the world. Founded in 1944, Kia has been providing mobility solutions for more than 75 years. With 52,000 employees worldwide, a presence in more than 190 markets, and manufacturing facilities in six countries, the company today sells around three million vehicles a year. Kia is spearheading the popularization of electrified and battery electric vehicles and developing a growing range of mobility services, encouraging millions of people around the world to explore the best ways of getting around. The company's brand slogan – ‘Movement that inspires’ – reflects Kia’s commitment to inspire consumers through its products and services.

For more information, visit the Kia Global Media Center at www.kianewscenter.com