Kia posts record first-half sales of over 1.63 million vehicles; EV sales hit domestic high

Kia sold more than 1.63 million vehicles globally in the first half of this year, setting an all-time record for first-half sales. Strong demand for electric vehicles and hybrids both at home and abroad drove the milestone, while domestic EV sales also reached a first-half record.

Kia said Tuesday it sold 295,720 vehicles worldwide in June — 54,508 in South Korea, 240,259 overseas and 953 special-purpose vehicles. The total was up 9.5 percent from the same month last year. Domestic sales rose 18.5 percent, overseas sales climbed 7.6 percent, and special-purpose vehicle sales jumped 47.3 percent.

Sales also improved from the previous month. Global sales rose 6.3 percent from May, with domestic sales up 21.9 percent and overseas sales up 3.0 percent. Special-purpose vehicle sales jumped 331.2 percent month on month.

First-half cumulative sales totaled 1,630,988 units — 295,779 domestically, 1,332,473 overseas and 2,736 special-purpose vehicles. The figure represents a 2.7 percent increase from the 1,587,536 units sold in the first half of last year and marks the highest first-half sales volume since Kia began selling vehicles in 1962.

SUVs continued to anchor Kia's sales performance. The Sorento was the top-selling model in South Korea in June with 8,561 units, while the Sportage led overseas markets with 47,882 units sold.

On a first-half cumulative basis, the Sportage led Kia's global sales with 303,203 units. The Seltos sold 177,148 units and the Sorento 125,283 units, cementing their roles as core volume models.

EV sales also hit record levels. Kia sold 72,078 electric vehicles domestically in the first six months of this year, the highest first-half EV total in the company's history. The figure is up 151.1 percent from 28,706 units in the first half of last year and has already surpassed Kia's full-year domestic EV sales of 60,820 units recorded last year.

By model, the EV3 led with 18,431 units, followed by the EV5 at 15,965 units and the purpose-built vehicle model PV5 at 15,000 units.

"Strong sales of electric vehicles and hybrid models at home and abroad enabled us to achieve record first-half sales," a Kia official said. "In the second half, we will continue to expand sales through region-specific strategies built around our full EV lineup and SUV hybrid models."