Sportage leads Kia’s record-breaking September

The Kia Sportage, the brand’s flagship model, was the best-selling vehicle in the UK across all brands in September, with 7,482 units sold, according to official figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Year-to-date, the Sportage was also the second best-selling model in the UK, with 37,582 units sold.

Kia Motors continues to dominate the automotive market, cementing its place as the second best-selling brand of the month and maintaining its position as the fourth best-selling brand year-to-date.

AM met with Kia chief Paul Philpott to discuss how the brand plans to further solidify its position in the UK market

Kia's market share reached 6.4% in September, with 17,535 cars sold - another record month for the car maker, following previous monthly successes this year.

Year-to-date, Kia has achieved 92,420 units sold in the UK, equating to a 6.1% market share - a nearly 3% rise year-on-year and builds on the brand’s 89,953 vehicles that were sold by the end of September.

Kia has firmly established itself as the second best-selling ‘eco’ car brand in the UK, with 49% of its sales in September coming from electrified models, including fully electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles. This is significantly above the UK market average of 40%.

The brand’s eco line-up includes four fully electric vehicles: the EV3, new EV6, EV9, and Niro EV. Among these, the forthcoming Kia EV3 starting at £32,995.

To support the launch of the EV3, Kia has hosted a series of exclusive EV3 Electric Experience dealer events, introducing customers to the latest in Kia’s electric vehicle technology.

Kia said its performance in the compact SUV segment had been a critical factor in its growth. Models such as the Sportage, Niro, and XCeed have collectively sold 60,399 units in the UK this year, representing a 13.6% market share of the segment.

Kia’s extensive model range, spanning from city cars to large SUVs, has also seen strong sales across the board. The new Kia Picanto was the second most popular city car in September and 2024 for retail-only sales, holding a 21.2% market share YTD with 9,076 units sold across both retail and fleet.

Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK, commented on the results, said: “This latest set of record sales achievements are a great representation of how well the Kia UK business is performing as a whole, not just in one area. It highlights the strong demand for all of our product line up, across all powertrains, including our award-winning range of EVs.

“These fantastic results are also testament to the hard work and dedication of our national dealer partners, who provide outstanding service when supporting customers through their purchase journey. As we enter the fourth quarter of 2024, the remainder of the year looks promising.

He reported that deliveries of the improved EV6 have already begun while the EV3 electric SUV has already gained over 700 orders during a national dealer roadshow which runs until November.

Kia launched its latest customer offers on October 1, including 3.9% APR finance deals on all-electric models - EV3, new EV6, EV9, and Niro EV - and 5.9% APR on select Stonic, XCeed, and Niro HEV models. Additionally, 7.9% APR finance deals are available on the rest of Kia’s lineup, including the Sportage.