Kia Seltos was the company’s best-selling car in July 2023 with a 14 percent YoY and 172 percent MoM growth
As the Indian automotive industry continues to evolve, one brand that has been consistently making waves is Kia. The South Korean automaker has been a prominent player in the Indian market for a few years now, and their July 2023 sales report provides interesting insights into their performance. Let’s take a closer look at the sales figures for July 2023 and compare them with both the previous year and the preceding month.
Year-on-Year Comparison (July 2023 vs. July 2022)
In July 2023, Kia India reported total sales of 20,002 units across its diverse range of vehicles. To get a better perspective, we need to compare this figure with the sales for the same month in the previous year, July 2022. Here’s a breakdown of Kia’s sales in July 2023 compared to July 2022:
New Seltos: Kia’s popular compact SUV, the Seltos, showed impressive growth – thanks to the recent launch of the facelifted version. It recorded 9,740 units sold in July 2023, compared to 8,541 units in July 2022, marking a significant increase of 14.04%. This robust performance reaffirms the Seltos’ position as one of the preferred choices in its segment.
Carens: Kia Carens, a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), witnessed a marginal year-on-year increase. In July 2023, Kia sold 6,002 units, up from 5,978 units in July 2022, indicating a 0.40% growth. While this increase may seem modest, it reflects a stable demand for the Carens.
Sonet: The most affordable in Kia’s lineup, Sonet experienced a decrease in sales. July 2023 saw 4,245 units sold, a significant drop from the 7,215 units sold in July 2022. This marks a substantial decline of 41.16%, possibly indicating increased competition in this segment. To get ahead, Kia is getting ready to launch facelifted Sonet in the coming months.
EV6 and Carnival: Kia’s electric vehicle offering, the EV6, made its mark in July 2023, with 15 units sold. This is an entirely new entrant in the Indian market, so a direct year-on-year comparison is not possible. Carnival has been discontinued and has reported 0 sales.
Overall, when considering Kia’s performance in July 2023 compared to the same month the previous year, the brand saw a slight decline in sales. Total sales were down by 9.17%, largely influenced by the drop in Sonet sales. However, the Seltos continued to be the standout performer, with robust year-on-year growth.
Month-on-Month Comparison (July 2023 vs. June 2023)
To gain a more immediate perspective on Kia’s performance, it’s essential to analyze the month-on-month sales figures for July 2023 compared to June 2023. July 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge in Seltos sales, with 9,740 units sold, up from 3,578 units in June 2023. This represents a staggering month-on-month increase of 172.22%, indicating a resurgence in demand post launch of facelifted Seltos.
Conversely, Carens experienced a decrease in sales, with 6,002 units sold in July 2023 compared to 8,047 units in June 2023. This decline of 25.41% suggests fluctuations in the MPV market. Sonet also saw a dip in sales, with 4,245 units sold in July 2023, down from 7,722 units in June 2023. This decline of 45.03% raises questions about the Sonet’s competitiveness in its segment.
Kia EV6 recorded 15 units sold in July 2023, down from 44 units in June 2023, marking a month-on-month decrease of 65.91%. This could be due to the nascent nature of the electric vehicle market in India. Overall, when comparing Kia’s performance in July 2023 to the preceding month, June 2023, the brand saw a slight increase in total sales, with a growth of 3.15%. This growth was primarily driven by the exceptional performance of the Seltos, which saw a significant surge in demand. However, the Sonet and Carens faced challenges in July, experiencing notable declines in sales.
