Kia America announced robust sales figures for December 2023, with a total of 60,275 vehicles sold in the United States, maintaining parity with the same period in 2022. The year 2023 marked a record-setting performance for Kia, as the company achieved an annual sales figure of 782,451 vehicles, reflecting a noteworthy 12.8% year-over-year increase.
The highlight of Kia’s December sales was the positive reception of its all-electric cars, particularly the newly launched Kia EV9 SUV.
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In December, Kia’s electric vehicles (EVs) based on the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) recorded a substantial uptick, totaling 2,362 units. This marked a significant 113% increase compared to the same period in the previous year and accounted for 3.9% of the brand’s total volume.
The specific breakdown of Kia’s EV sales in December included 1,249 units of the EV6 (a 13% increase year-over-year) and 1,113 units of the recently introduced EV9 during its first full month on the market. Additionally, a certain number of Kia Niro EVs were sold, but the exact data is not yet available, as it is combined with the internal combustion engine version.
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Kia’s E-GMP-based EV sales for the fourth quarter of 2023 reached 5,199 units, reflecting a substantial 77% year-over-year increase and constituting 2.9% of the total volume during that period.
Throughout 2023, Kia successfully sold over 18,800 units of the EV6 in the U.S., experiencing an 8% decline compared to the previous year, partly attributed to market challenges. With over 1,100 units of the EV9 and an estimated 11-12 thousand Niro EVs, Kia likely exceeded 30,000 electric vehicle sales in 2023, representing around 4% of the brand’s total volume.
Kia anticipates a clearer picture of its electric vehicle market presence in 2024, particularly with the commencement of local production of the Kia EV9 in the United States at West Point, Georgia.
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Seungkyu (Sean) Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America, expressed optimism about the brand’s trajectory, stating, “Kia is clearly a brand on the move,” and highlighted the company’s commitment to growth in 2024 with the introduction of six all-new and significantly redesigned products.
