In India, the Korean carmaker, Kia has risen to fame within a surprisingly short span, and today, the brand stands among the leading carmakers in the country. Like its parent brand, Hyundai, Kia is acclaimed for the feature wealth of its cars and the refined drive experience they deliver. In recent times, 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. As usual, Kia stood as the fifth-largest carmaker in January 2024 with an aggregate sale of 23,769 units and this is truly commendable given Kia has only four cars on sale. Here is the list of top-selling Kia cars of January 2024.
Model | Units Sold in January 2024 | Units Sold in January 2023 | Y-O-Y Growth |
Kia Sonet | 11,530 | 9,261 | 25% |
Kia Seltos | 6,391 | 10,470 | -39% |
Kia Carens | 5,848 | 7,900 | -26% |
Kia Sonet
From negligible sales in December 2023 to outselling its elder sibling, Seltos in January 2024, the Kia Sonet has made a great comeback after receiving the facelift. Clocking sales of 11,530 units last month, the Sonet grabbed the title of the best-selling Kia car and gained a 25 percent year-on-year growth. With an attractive wealth of features and the ability to deliver a premium ride experience, the Kia Sonet has long been one of the best-selling compact SUVs. The recent facelift has given it some cosmetic tweaks while the chief highlight is the addition of the Level-1 ADAS features that have upped its safety quotient.
Mechanically, the new Sonet is largely the same as the outgoing model. It continues to be powered by a 1.2-litre NA petrol engine, a 1.5-litre diesel engine, and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. Like the earlier model, a 6-speed iMT is available with the turbo-petrol engine and the diesel engine, however, the diesel engine gets the addition of a 6-speed manual gearbox. For automatic transmission options, a 7-speed DCT automatic and a 6-speed torque converter automatic are offered with the turbo-petrol engine and the diesel engine respectively.
Kia Seltos
As anticipated, the arrival of the new Hyundai Creta has lured some sales away from its sibling, Kia Seltos. The Kia Seltos sold 6,391 units in January 2024, seeing a 39 percent decline in its year-on-year performance. Nevertheless, this decline does not define the calibre of the Seltos which is Kia’s best-ever-selling car in India. Laden with new-age tech features and equipped with refined powertrains, the Seltos has been a tough challenger to the reign of the Hyundai Creta and one of the best-selling SUVs. After the facelift, the Seltos has become more stylish and premium on the inside and added the coveted panoramic sunroof and ADAS safety suite to its already-extensive feature list.
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.
Kia Carens
When launched in 2022, this 6-& 7-seater Korean MUV was an instant success and had become one of the best-selling cars. However, lately, the demand for Carens has been on a decline, given the ever-rising competition from Maruti and even Toyota. Last month, the Carens sold 5,848 units, seeing a 27 percent drop in its year-on-year performance. At the same time, these sales figures do not correspond with the competency of Carens, which is the most feature-rich car in its segment and packs more space than its arch-rivals Ertiga and Rumion.
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.
