Kia hits record sales total in 2022

Kia UK Limited hit the 100,000 sales mark in 2022 for the first time in its 32-year history of retailing new cars in the UK. 

December saw 3,450 new vehicles sold to top the year-round sales number to a record 100,191. This capped off Kia's best ever position in the UK, finishing sixth best-selling brand, and an all-time best market share of 6.2%. 

To put that into some context, Kia sold a total of 61,784 new cars in the UK between 1991 and 2001. 

Kia finally hit over 50,000 sales in a single year in 2009 and the brand has continued to flourish ever since. The introduction of Kia's industry-leading 7-year/100,000 mile warranty package was also a huge contributing factor to Kia's growth.  

2019 marked Kia's eighth consecutive best-ever annual sales result and was just a few thousand sales short of the magical 100,000 figure. 

Since Kia's arrival in the UK in '91, the Korean brand has sold almost 1.4 million cars.

2022 year-end review

The year began quickly for Kia. 32,110 sales were achieved between January and March, pushing Kia up to the UK's most popular brand for the first business quarter of 2022. 

Sales were boosted thanks to the launch of the restyled Sportage, which included a plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) for the very first time. The Sportage PHEV proved very popular with business and fleet drivers, thanks to Kia's low Benefit-in-Kind taxation figure. 

With Plug-in Hybrid, Full Hybrid, Mild Hybrid, petrol and diesel drivetrain options available, it is an excellently versatile SUV and has versions to suit every driver. 

The Kia Sportage PHEV even comes with all-wheel-drive as standard.

Kia's sales momentum continued into the summer with the launch of the all-new Niro family in July. The Niro, together with the Sportage, dominated the Compact SUV/Crossover market. 

Kia cemented its place as a leader in electric driving; the Niro self-charging hybrid (HEV), Niro PHEV and Niro EV all proved to be hugely popular. Each of these three models has three trim levels of their own.  

The Niro HEV and PHEV are very practical, and have excellent fuel economy and lower fuel consumption, thanks to an efficient electric motor. Meanwhile, the Niro EV has a driving range of up to a mightily impressive 285 miles.  

In fact, the Niro family finished second to only the Sportage, as Kia's biggest selling cars of 2022. 

If you're unsure about the different types of hybrid cars, how they work, and what's the right one for you, you can click here to read our handy guide to hybrids.

Sales in the latter part of the year were bolstered with the launch of the all-new XCeed. Again, Kia gave drivers a choice between versions of the sporty crossover with a petrol engine or a Plug-in Hybrid drivetrain. 

Kia now has a total of four different plug-in hybrid cars in its range, including the luxurious seven-seat Sorento.  

A clear indication of the quality and popularity of Kia electrified driving is that HEV, PHEV and EV sales for the year were a hair's breadth from reaching 43,000 - just 12 car deals short. They accounted for a huge 43% of Kia's overall sales in 2022. 

Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK Limited, said: “Reaching 100,000 new car sales in 2022 is a significant milestone, and a testament to the hard work, determination and belief that each of our dealer partners have placed in Kia. It is also time to say thank you to our dealers and our customers for their trust and loyalty. 

“Since Kia first entered the UK car market 32 years ago, the brand has gone from strength to strength. Kia has continually thrived in a challenging market, our brand and products have evolved, and perceptions have changed.”

Looking ahead to 2023 and beyond

Kia's electric car revolution sees no signs of slowing down. The brand new EV9 will hit Kia showrooms later this year. The stunning seven-seat SUV is a vision into the future of eclectic electric vehicles you can expect from Kia. 

Not only is the interior made completely with sustainable materials, but the bonnet is fitted with a solar panel!

Going forward, Kia will extend its electric range by introducing 14 EVs globally by 2027, as part of its 'Plan S' strategy. Nine of those 14 all-electric models slated to hit the UK market. Several of these will be built upon Kia's Electric-Globular Model Platform (E-GMP) architecture, upon which the powerful EV6 GT-Line was constructed.