Kia Motors becomes the fourth-largest automaker in India

Within four months of its launch, Kia Motors has become the fourth largest car brand in India after Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, and Mahindra on the back of its November sales.

The company says it sold 14,005 units of Seltos, its only model in the country, in November—a jump of 125% from 6,236 cars sold in August, the month of its launch.

“We are ecstatic to witness the tremendous response for Seltos which is now leading the UV (utility vehicle) segment. The 100 day-journey of Kia Seltos has been nothing short of a delightful ride,” said Manohar Bhat, vice president and head of sales and marketing, Kia Motors India.

Kia Motors has managed to sell more than 40,000 Seltos SUVs in the country since its launch in August despite a slowdown in the auto industry.

Kia Motors also became the country’s largest-selling SUV for two months in a row. “The Seltos has outpaced the nearest competitor in the mid-SUV segment by more than double the volume,” the company says.

The company has received 86,840 bookings till date. “This is a true testament to positive growth and the trust that the consumers have shown for us. We will continue to grow and surprise the country with Seltos and our upcoming products,” Bhat adds. “Kia Motors India’s state-of-the-art plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, is capable of producing 300,000 units annually and has already started almost a second shift in its plant,” the company said in a statement.

The company is looking at expanding to areas like the northeast, north Telangana, Karnataka, and western Rajasthan.

India’s auto sector has been in the throes of a slowdown for more than a year due suppressed market sentiment, transition from Bharat Stage (BS) IV to BS VI emission standards, fuel price volatility, liquidity crunch, and rise in insurance costs. Only in October did retail sales show a 4% growth due to festive sale offers.