Seltos sales are just about 1.5 lakh, Sonet over 45k and that of Carnival over 5k
The SUV segment sees rising popularity in India as compared to any passenger vehicle. Growing demand for sub-compact SUVs can be attributed to the various reasons. Ideally built for larger families, these smaller sports utility vehicles are also best suited for Indian road conditions with compact dimensions and elevated ground clearance. It also sports high seating position, an upright build body and spacious interiors along with efficient luggage storage facilities.
Compact SUV segment has noted impressive percent growth in recent months. The growth was primarily led by the likes of the Sonet, Seltos, Venue, Brezza, Nexon and XUV300. Kia Sonet and Seltos have also been making waves in this segment.
The Kia Seltos was launched in July 2019 while the Sonet was launched a few months ago. However, both these models have managed to topple certain stalwarts in the segment in terms of sales.
Kia India 2 Lakh Sales
Today, Kia India has achieved a new sales milestone. Total sales of Kia in India have crossed the 2 lakh mark. Seltos sales are 149,428 units, followed by the Sonet with 45,195 units, which was launched in September, 2020 and the Carnival with a total sales of 5409 units.
Mr Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors India said, “In just over a year of sales operations, Kia has emerged as India’s youngest automobile disruptor and one of the best-selling automobile brands in the country.
We have reached this landmark figure of two lakh sales units and set a record in the Indian industry due to the immense trust and confidence shown in us by our valued customers and the extended Kia family, which consists of our dealer partners, vendor partners and all other Kia stakeholders. We are extremely grateful for the response that the Kia brand has received and we will continue to set new benchmarks in the Indian automobile industry with path-breaking design innovation, cutting-edge technology and unique customer experiences.”
Kia Seltos Waiting Period
After the recent price hike, Kia Seltos, priced from Rs 9.89 lakhs to Rs 17.65 lakhs, ex-sh; is offered in Tech Line and GT Line. The Tech Line is available in five variants HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX, and HTX+ while the GT Line can be bought in two variants of GTX and GTX+.
The SUV is powered by both petrol and diesel engine options. Waiting period extends from as low as 1 week Manual GTX petrol variant and goes on to a maximum of 9-10 weeks for the HTE, HTX, GTX+ Manual and Automatic diesel variants. The waiting periods for other variants of GTX+ and HTX+ petrol range from 6 to 8 weeks.
Kia Sonet Waiting Period
Kia Sonet, in a broad price band from Rs 6.79-13.19 lakhs (ex-sh), also poses a long waiting period for buyers. It is also presented in six variants of HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX, HTX+, and GTX+. Waiting period for the Sonet ranges from 6-10 weeks. The HTX and HTX+ petrol and diesel variants are comparatively at lower waiting periods of 6 weeks while the HTE petrol manual, HTX+ iMT petrol, HTX+ and GTX+ diesel Manual and Automatic note higher demand and hence a longer waiting period of 9-10 weeks.
Increased Inventory in view of Boost in Demand
With increased demand, the company is contemplating the start of a third shift at the Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh which has installed capacity of 3 lakh units. This would allow the company to maintain a keep up with growing demand with a minimum waiting period for each of their three products in India.
