Kia America has managed to achieve an all-time high October sales record with 59,164 units sold, despite a decrease in business days compared to the previous year. This marks the 15th consecutive month of year-over-year growth for the brand. Kia’s electric vehicle (EV) models witnessed an 83 percent increase year-over-year, with the EV6 setting an all-time October sales record by surging 30 percent compared to the same month the previous year.
Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America, commented, “Kia’s ability to consistently increase year-over-year monthly sales for 15 months in a row is a testament to our ability to provide consumers with a world-class lineup that caters not only to sedans and SUVs but also electric models. The upcoming 2024 EV9, set for release soon, has already garnered significant consumer interest with pre-orders, establishing its presence in the competitive electric SUV segment from the start.” He added, “We anticipate surpassing our 2022 full-year sales by mid-November, putting us on track to achieve a record-breaking annual sales performance for 2023.”
In October, six models, including Carnival (+172-percent); Rio (+44-percent); EV6 (+30-percent); K5 (+7-percent); Forte (+5-percent) and Telluride (+4-percent), recorded increased sales compared to the same month the previous year. Carnival and EV6, in particular achieved their highest October sales records and Kia’s SUV lineup accounted for 71-percent of October sales, leading the way in overall sales.
In addition to the monthly sales performance, Kia America announced several initiatives, including:
During the opening game of the 2023-2024 NBA season, Kia America debuted a new creative campaign for their Telluride SUV, the most-awarded vehicle in their lineup. The 30-second spot titled “Loose Ball” was created by Kia’s newest technology and creative partner Opus, and features Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green and his daughter, Olive. Kia America has been the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA for 16 years.
In a recent announcement, Kia America stated that their electric vehicle customers will have access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Beginning in Q4 2024, Kia intends to incorporate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port into new electric vehicles sold in the US, Canada and Mexico. This will allow EV owners to use a significantly greater number of high-speed chargers than are currently available to them. Furthermore, the company aims to provide CCS1-to-NACS (Combined Charging System) adapters to enable nearly all Kia EVs to charge on Tesla’s network. These adapters are expected to be made available through Kia dealers starting in Q1 2025.
Kia’s forthcoming EV9 three-row SUV has an EPA-estimated range of 304 miles in the Light Long Range RWD trim, exceeding the internal AER target of 300 miles. All five EV9 variants were rated higher than initial target estimates. Customers can reserve an EV9 by making a request through November 27 at kia.com.
The 2024 Kia Seltos SX was named the winner of the 2023 Affordable SUV Challenge by Cars.com, where it beat five other popular subcompact SUVs priced around $30,000. The Seltos SX stood out among the pack with its zippy performance and received praise for its upscale interior and features that weren’t found in the other challengers.
