December 2024: Top Selling Kia Cars

As the subsidiary of Hyundai – India’s second-largest carmaker, Kia has fared significantly well. Today, Kia is among the front runners in the industry and considerably ahead of many foreign carmakers that have been operating in India far longer than it has. The Korean carmaker has limited cars on sale and like their Hyundai siblings, Kia cars are known for leading the race in terms of technology and refinement of engines. In recent years, Kia has also given a sincere focus towards passenger safety and elevated the safety quotient of its cars by equipping them with as many safety features as possible. Last month, Kia sold 8,957 units and took the sixth-largest share of the industry. Here is the list of top-selling Kia cars of December 2024.

Overview Table

Kia Sonet

In current times when most cars are focused on catering to the contemporary demands, it is the cars like Kia Sonet which modernise the industry. Launched nearly four years ago, the Sonet had set the benchmark of premium quotient in compact SUVs, elevating the quality of the entire segment. While it shares its platform with its sibling, Hyundai Venue, the Sonet is a more eye-catching offering and one of the most feature-rich cars in the segment. Moreover, like the Venue, the Kia Sonet has a variety of engine and transmission combinations to cater to diverse preferences. Nearly a year ago, the Sonet surpassed its elder sibling, Seltos to be titled the best-selling Kia car and the case is still the same. Last month, the Sonnet collected sales of 3,337 units and gained a 33270 percent growth over the sales it did in the same month in 2023. Such growth seems astonishing, but it is understandable as the Sonet had sold only 10 units in December 2023 because it was about to receive a facelift and buyers were waiting for the new model.

Also Read: Comparison: Sonet vs Venue

The Kia Sonet is powered by a 1.2-litre NA petrol engine, a 1.5-litre diesel engine, and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. For transmission options, the naturally aspirated engine gets a 5-speed manual gearbox, and the turbo-petrol engine gets a 6-speed clutch-pedal less manual (iMT) or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). Whereas, the diesel engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, 6-speed clutch(pedal)-less manual (iMT), or 6-speed torque converter automatic.

Kia Seltos

The first impression is the last impression in many cases and being Kia’s first car in India, the Kia Seltos did an excellent job of introducing Indians to the Korean carmaker. It was lapped up in a way that it managed to outshine its Hyundai Creta for a few months and this feat has never been achieved by all other cars in the segment. Today, when the Kia Seltos is not at the peak of its popularity, it is still pulling significant volumes. In December 2024, the Seltos sold 2,830 units, and while this turned out to be a 72 percent decline in its year-on-year sales, it didn’t fail to emerge as one of the best-selling SUVs. Much like its sibling Creta, the Seltos is acclaimed for its upmarket features, refinement of engines, and invaluable dependability.

The Kia Seltos comes with three engine offerings: a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT, a 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to either a 6-speed iMT (clutchless manual) or a 6-speed torque converter automatic, and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with either a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT automatic.

Also read: Top selling Maruti Cars

Kia Carens

The Kia Carens saw tremendous success after being launched in 2022 and even remained one of the best-selling cars for quite some time. While the demand for this 6- and 7-seater Korean MUV has been on a decline of late, given the ever-rising competition from Maruti and Toyota, December 2024 was a profitable month for the Carens. Selling 2,626 units, the Carens saw a 2 percent growth over the 2,563 units it had sold in December 2023. The main competency of Carens lies in being the most feature-rich car in its segment and packing more space than its arch-rivals Ertiga and Rumion. Moreover, with a high-spirited 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, the Carens is the most exciting MUV to drive.

Sharing its powertrains with Kia Seltos, the Carens is offered with three engine options: a 1.5-litre petrol engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, a 1.5-litre diesel engine comes mated to a 6-speed iMT and 6-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine comes mated to a 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT automatic.

Also read: Top selling Tata Cars

Kia Carnival

The Kia Carnival’s re-entry in India after a gap of nearly a year caught many headlines last month. As an uber-premium MUV for the elites, the Carnival has seen significant success in India and so is apparent in sales of the first few months after its comeback. The Carnival sold 103 units in December 2024, which is impressive for a car priced at Rs 63.90 lakh (ex-showroom). As always, the Carnival offers high-end comfort in its lounge-like cabin which features seven seats: two captain seats in the middle row and a bench seat in the last row. These premium seats in combination with upmarket interiors and features like two single-pane sunroofs, 3-zone auto AC, a powered tailgate, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and more offer a delightful atmosphere.

The latest Kia Carnival is available with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic.

Kia EV6

Kia’s first electric car in India, Kia EV6 is a statement of how the Korean carmaker is going to wield its mastery in gradually expanding EV space. ‘Futuristic’ is the word which comes to mind when one looks at this beautiful electric crossover. This impression becomes even more dominant with its state-of-the-art interior and the tech-fest that this Korean EV packs with acres of space in its cabin. With all this, the EV6 delivers what can be called an uber-premium experience and challenges far more expensive luxury EVs. With that being said, what makes the EV6 special is its range of 708 km on a single charge and this is one of the longest EV ranges available in India. All the same, ever since the arrival of a significantly more affordable rival, Hyundai IONIQ 5 the competition for EV6 has grown and has declined its demand. Last month was different as with sales of 61 units, the EV6 outsold the IONIQ 5, which sold 24 units. With such sales figures, the Kia EV6 saw 917 percent year-on-year growth.

The Kia EV6 comes with a 77.4 kWh battery pack and has two powertrain choices: a single motor rear-wheel drive that produces 229 PS power and 350 Nm torque, and a dual motor all-wheel drive that produces 325 PS power and 605 Nm torque. The EV6 has an ARAI-claimed range of up to 708 km.