The rise and rise of Kia India
Autocar Professional|1st January 2023
A relatively unknown brand in India barely four years ago, Kia is now a key player and the India operation jewel in the Korean carmaker's crown for export markets, writes Ajit Dalvi.
Ajit Dalvi.
The rise and rise of Kia India

It's no easy feat entering a value-conscious market like India with a premium product and no past history. The positive is the fact that the brand is owned by the country's second-largest automobile manufacturer which has 15 percent market share as of 2022 and $5.5 billion turnover in India.

And this is where it gets more interesting. With sales of 24,025 units in November 2022, Kia India drove past the 6,00,000-units cumulative sales milestone in the domestic market. The landmark comes just 40 months after Kia, which belongs to the Hyundai Motor Group, began retail sales in the Indian market with the launch of the 16-variant Seltos midsize SUV on August 22, 2019.

Since its market entry three years and five months ago with a single product, Kia India is now a formidable player in the passenger vehicle market. As of end-November 2022, with five products - the Seltos midsize SUV, Sonet compact SUV, Carnival and Carens MPVs and the EV6 electric crossover - it has a 14.20 percent utility vehicle share. It is ranked fifth in a competitive market of 16 players, with all the rest behind it with single-digit UV market share. Clearly, it's a performance that's far better than some well-established players which have been around for far longer.

Denne historien er fra 1st January 2023-utgaven av Autocar Professional.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra 1st January 2023-utgaven av Autocar Professional.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA AUTOCAR PROFESSIONALSe alt
Spain's Fersa Group invests in India-based Delux Bearings
Autocar Professional

Spain's Fersa Group invests in India-based Delux Bearings

Besides theRs100 croreinvestment, the Indian company gets access toadvanced technologies and bearings with arange of applications that willhelpinits global growth strategy, writes Manobhava Baruah.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
Tata Autocomp to open compact dual-clutch transmission plant
Autocar Professional

Tata Autocomp to open compact dual-clutch transmission plant

Amidthe country’s growing need for personal mobility with easy manoeuvrability, comes the demand for vehicles with automatic transmission. Tata AutoCompisready tomovein writes Shruti Mishra.

time-read
3 mins  |
15th January 2023
Pankaj Munjal-backed Hero Motors raises equity from GEF Cap
Autocar Professional

Pankaj Munjal-backed Hero Motors raises equity from GEF Cap

The company willinvest Rs1,500 crore over thenextthree years andit expects 60 percent ofits turnover to come fromelectric vehicle parts. Itaims to becomea Global EV Solutions Company from India

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
New age thermoplastics for next-generation EV batteries
Autocar Professional

New age thermoplastics for next-generation EV batteries

Saudi-based global materials major SABIChas developed cutting edgein fire-resistant polymers and flame-retardant materials that comply with various EV battery safety standards across the world.

time-read
4 mins  |
15th January 2023
Switch Mobility to meet growing e-bus demand with fresh capex
Autocar Professional

Switch Mobility to meet growing e-bus demand with fresh capex

Oncourse for abillion-dollar business, the company is exploringa possibility of operating satellite factories across the country to serve different geographies, write ShahkarAbidi and Ketan Thakkar.

time-read
4 mins  |
15th January 2023
Kia India to invest Rs 2,000 crore in EVS, to introduce new e-RV in 2025
Autocar Professional

Kia India to invest Rs 2,000 crore in EVS, to introduce new e-RV in 2025

New investmentto drive R&D, infrastructure development and manufacturing capabilities. The company willlocally produce EVsin India with possibility of exports as well, writes Mayank Dhingra.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
"The government has given enough time for indigenisation but the industry has not taken it seriously"
Autocar Professional

"The government has given enough time for indigenisation but the industry has not taken it seriously"

Amitabh Saran, Founder and CEO, Altigreen, shares his views on problems inthe EV industry and battery localisation solutions with Amit Vijay M.

time-read
3 mins  |
15th January 2023
TATA MOTORS SEES ONE INTWO CARS SOLDAS EVS BY 2030
Autocar Professional

TATA MOTORS SEES ONE INTWO CARS SOLDAS EVS BY 2030

The company aims to offer wider choices withnew EVs that may straddle a pricebracket of Rs20to 40lakhinthe coming years, writes Ketan Thakkar.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
MG Motor India in expansion drive, to invest $100 million
Autocar Professional

MG Motor India in expansion drive, to invest $100 million

The investment willbe usedtoramp up existing production capacity from1.2to1.4-15lakh units per annum atthe automaker's Halol plantin Gujarat, writes Ketan Thakkar.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
"Technology and its multiplier effect are driving business transformations and customer experiences"
Autocar Professional

"Technology and its multiplier effect are driving business transformations and customer experiences"

Technical Centre India is one of Continental’s largest research and development centres in the world, andasa Centre of Competence’ it also develops customised products for the BRIC countries.

time-read
9 mins  |
15th January 2023