South Korean manufacturer Kia sells 2 lakh cars in 17 months in India

Kia Motors India on Monday said it has become the fastest carmaker to cross the 2 lakh sales mark in the country.

After reaching one lakh wholesale milestone in July 2020, the brand raced to the two lakh dispatch mark in the next six-months, Kia Motors India said in a statement.

The maker of Seltos, Sonet and Carnival, has successfully dispatched two lakh units to its dealerships across India within 17 months of sales operations in the country, it added.

The top-end variants -- GTX of Seltos and Sonet and the Limousine variant of Carnival, have accounted for nearly 60 per cent of total cars sold, reinforcing the company's premium and feature-rich appeal, the automaker noted.

The company said it has sold 1,49,428 units of Seltos, 45,195 units of Sonet and 5,409 units of Carnival.

"In just over a year of sales operations, Kia has emerged as India's youngest automobile disruptor and one of the best-selling automobile brands in the country," Kia Motors India Managing Director and CEO Kookhyun Shim said.

The rapid adoption of Kia cars reiterates the evolving customer preference towards a technology-led exceptional driving experience, coupled with great connectivity, he added.

Currently, the company's manufacturing plant in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) is running on two-shift operations.

Given the increasing demand, the brand is evaluating operating in three shifts, the automaker noted.

The company said it aims to fully utilise the capacity of 3 lakh units per annum at the facility by 2022.

With 300 touch points throughout the country, Kia now plans to expand its network further in tier-III and IV markets, it added.