Kia America announced that its sales had crossed the 10 million (1 crore) unit mark in the USA. The 10 millionth vehicle was a Runway Red Kia EV6 sold to a Monti Charoenphong in Moreno Valley, California. Kia also revealed that it planned to commemorate the sale of its milestone model through “multiple acts of giving” including donating money to non-profit organisations in association with Ms Charoenphong. Kia also said that the milestone car owner and her family would get some additional benefits including complimentary access to future NBA and Kia Forum events. Kia America has been the official automotive partner for the NBA for over 15 years.
“Selling 10 million vehicles is a significant achievement and we at Kia are proud not only how far we've come, but also what the future has in store as we continue our push for sustainable mobility leadership,” said Sean Yoon, president & CEO, Kia North America and Kia America.
Also read: Kia EV6 India Launch: What To Expect
The 10 millionth car sold was a Kia EV6.
Kia commenced sales operations in the USA in 1993 with the portfolio having grown from just two models to a range of cars and SUVs spread across several segments. The company, like majority of the global carmakers is currently in the process of migrating towards electric mobility with plans to go all-electric in the USA by 2040.
Also read: Kia To Start Its First Electric PBV Plant In Korea, First Model To Debut By 2025
Coming to India, Kia is still a very new player in the market in comparison having only launched in August 2019 with the popular Seltos compact SUV. The company has gone on to quickly establish itself as a notable player in the market quickly racking up 4 lakh cumulative domestic sales ( 5 lakhs including exports) as of February 2022. The Seltos and Sonet SUVs have been the major contributors to the company's strong growth in the market with the former having sold over 2 lakh units since its launch and the latter clocking in over 1 lakh units in sales since its arrival in September 2020. This is a notable achievement given that 2020 and 2021 were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Seltos was Kia's debut model for India and has racked up over 2 lakh sales since its launch in 2019.
The company recently commenced a third shift at its Anantapur plant to keep up with the growing demand for its existing models as well as its third mass-market offering the new Kia Carens.
The carmaker is currently readying to launch its first EV in India, the new EV6. Bookings for the all-electric crossover are set to open on May 26 with a launch on June 2, 2022.
