South Korean automotive major Kia - part of the Hyundai-Kia group - has announced its global sales for 2024, achieving a new annual record with 3,089,457 vehicles sold, representing a marginal increase of 0.1% from 2023.
Kia's sales outside South Korea rose by 1% to 2,543,361 units, while domestic sales in Korea fell by 4.2% to 540,010 units.
In December 2024, Kia's global monthly sales reached 240,537 vehicles, marking an 11.8% increase compared with December 2023.
The company's previous record was in 2023, with 3,087,384 units sold globally, including 2,518,016 units outside South Korea and 563,660 units domestically.
Kia’s Sportage SUV led the company’s 2024 sales with 587,717 units sold globally.
The Seltos SUV and Sorento SUV came next, recording sales of 312,246 units and 280,705 units, respectively.
Kia attributes its record performance to new models such as the electric vehicle (EV) Kia EV3, the K4 sedan, and a hybrid Carnival MPV, alongside improved industrial conditions and business operations.
In November, Kia launched its EV3 model across continental Europe and the UK.
Designed as a high-volume electric vehicle for the compact SUV segment, the EV3 offers a range of up to about 600km on a single charge.
In 2025, Kia aims to sell 3,216,200 units globally, with 550,000 units sales in South Korea and 2,658,000 internationally.
The company also plans to sell 8,200 special-purpose vehicles.
In a statement, Kia said: “Kia plans to solidify its EV leadership and maintain its sales momentum by expanding its EV lineup, successfully launching strategic models, and fostering the growth of its Purpose Built Vehicle business.”
Kia's December 2024 sales in Korea increased by 2.8% year-over-year to 46,070 units, despite a 4.1% decline from November 2024.
Internationally, December sales rose by 14.2% year-over-year to 193,887 units, despite a 10.1% decline from November.
Special-purpose vehicle sales in December totalled 580 units, a 2.5% year-over-year decline but a 0.7% increase from November.
