After long efforts, Kia is seen as an European brand, with cars designed and built in Europe. So no wonder it has good results in Europe and one of the most constant growths in the segment. Kia Motors achieved record European sales (494,304 units) and its tenth consecutive year of growth in Europe in 2018.
The full-year sales result represents a 4.7% year-on-year increase for the Korean car manufacturer, pushing the brand’s European market share to an all-time high of 3.2%. In the last decade, Kia’s European sales have more than doubled – in 2008 the brand sold 238,643 units and accounted for 1.6% of all registrations across the continent.
Kia largest European sales market, the UK, contributed another national record amount of sales, posting 95,764 units sold in 2018, accounting for almost 20% (19.2%) of all European sales.
Sales of Kia’s hybrid, plug-in and electric cars grew by more than a third in 2018 compared to 2017, with 58,029 electrified vehicles sold. Advanced powertrain vehicles now account for almost an eighth (11.7%) of all Kia sales in Europe.
The Niro crossover became Kia’s fifth best-selling model in 2018, with sales rising 33.6% to 45,255 units – including 34,642 hybrids and 9,951 plug-in hybrids. The Niro range expanded at the very end of 2018, with the launch of the all-electric e-Niro – 662 of which were sold in select European markets when sales began in December.
2019 will see the introduction of a series of new Kia mild-hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, as well as the launch of the new all-electric Soul.
Sales of the new Kia Ceed and Ceed Sportswagon are off to a strong start, with 24,531 registrations across Europe since deliveries commenced in the second half of 2018. Total Ceed sales in 2018 (including the outgoing cee’d model family) totalled 75,479 units, up from 72,105 units in 2017. Sales of the new Ceed GT, Ceed GT Line, and ProCeed start this month, and will strengthen the Ceed’s position in the segment and as the brand’s second best-selling model in Europe, after the Sportage (125,266 units in 2018).
