April 20, 2023 – According to new figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA*), Kia has recorded its best-ever first quarter performance in the brand’s history – with Q1 registrations of 148,571 units. This is a 2.23% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and up from 113,812 units in Q1 2021. March alone saw 63,053 units sold, up 6.9% from March last year. The growth helps maintain Kia’s European market share at a strong 4.6%.
Proving that demand for electrified Kia vehicles continues to grow, Kia’s best-seller across the EU, EFTA and UK markets in Q1 was the New Sportage (including hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants) with 41,275 units. This was followed by the Ceed family (incl. mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains) with 35,207 units and the electrified-only Niro with 19,115.
Importantly, exemplifying the brand’s transformation to becoming a sustainable mobility solutions provider, Kia’s hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 35% of total sales across Europe. EV sales were driven by the award-winning EV6 and will grow further with the launch of the much-anticipated EV9 later this year.
Jason Jeong, President of Kia Europe, commented: “This record start to the year shows that Kia continues its strong growth and that our European customers are responding positively to our expanding range of electrified vehicles”.
*Source: ACEA – for EU + EFTA + UK
