Kia’s total volume in 2024 reached 112,252 units sold with a market share of 5.7%, making Kia the fourth best-selling brand overall, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Kia’s EV lineup has earned various accolades, receiving 68 awards throughout 2024. The new EV6, EV9 and Niro EV, welcomed the EV3 to the Kia product lineup in November.
Paul Philpott, Kia UK CEO and president, said: “We are seeing really good retail and fleet demand for EV3 and it has only been on sale for two months. This year we’ve got the effect of full year sales of EV3 which is going to be the centrepiece of our EV product range for the next six to nine months.
“In the second half of this year, we will be adding EV4 AND EV5 to our range. We’re also adding some excitement to the rang as we will be launching the EV6 GT and the EV9 GT.
“While they will be relatively small volume, they will be high performance EVs. That gives a halo to our EV range.”
The Kia Sportage was the UK’s best-selling SUV and second best-selling car of any make or model in 2024, with 47,163 units sold, accounting for 42% of Kia’s total sales. Combined sales of the Sportage, Niro and XCeed totalled 72,836, giving Kia a 12.6% overall share of the C-SUV market.
Kia’s Eco models (fully electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid), accounted for 50% of total sales (56,467), making Kia the second best-selling brand for EVs.
Philpott said: “Until EV3, around 70% of our EV demand came from fleets where there are benefit in kind tax benefits for the users and for the companies. But now, since the demise of the plug-in power grant there have been no incentives in place for retail buyers.
“We believe that to build momentum in demand for EVs, a real catalyst would be some form of short to medium term Government incentive which clearly shows the commitment the Government have to electrifying the cars on the road.
“We have achieved our Year 1 ZEV Mandate target and it looks like we are well on track to achieve our 2025 targets, and probably our 2026 targets (33%). The 2026 target is 33% and the 2030 target is 80%.
“We’re calling for incentives now, we’ll be asking through response to the consultation to ensure that momentum builds so we can ensure we achieve future years of mandate targets.”
“We’ve thankfully been given a Christmas present from the Government, the consultation document from Christmas Eve. We are now working our way through it which gives us the opportunity to reinforce all the requests we have made through a formal process.
“I would not say yet that the consumer thinks that the road to electrification is a core strategy of the UK Government.”
Kia has much to look forward to this year with the launch of it first electric van, the Kia PV5, which will be seen in the coming months.
Philpott said: “Despite various challenges throughout 2024 and the first year of the new ZEV Mandate regulation, Kia UK achieved record upon record. This shows the true demand for all Kia vehicles from UK customers, including our award-winning line-up of fully electric models, and the trust customers have in our brand.
“2025 brings a new set of challenges and opportunities, Kia is braced to build on the exceptional results of last year with significant updates to the product offering and firm plans to boldly venture into the commercial vehicle market.”
