With the South Korean manufacturer recently turning five, Kia has had a truly remarkable journey in India, that has helped it to become one of the best-selling car brands in the nation, which is revered for its premium approach and inclination towards technology. In a rather short period, Kia has managed to leave an unforgettable mark on the market, especially in the SUV segment. Leaving behind popular and veteran automakers such as Nissan, Renault, Honda and Volkswagen, Kia has risen to glory like a boss. With products like the Carens, Sonet, Seltos and EV6 taking forward the brand’s flambeau of success, the carmaker managed to rule over 6.6% of the entire market in the month of September which otherwise proved to be quite a stagnant month with low consumer demand and huge piled up stocks with Pitru Paksha and Shradh adding to OEM’s worries. Nonetheless, Kia is still the sixth best-selling car brand of the month, with Sonet bringing glory. Other than the Sonet, the Carens too, performed exceptionally well with great year-on-year numbers compared to its previous month’s performance. Here’s a complete list of the best-selling Kia cars in September 2024.
Overview Table
| Model | Units Sold in September 2024 | Units Sold in September 2023 | Y-O-Y Growth |
| Kia Sonet | 10,335 | 4,984 | 107% |
| Kia Seltos | 6,959 | 10,558 | -34% |
| Kia Carens | 6,217 | 4,330 | 44% |
| Kia EV6 | 12 | 150 | -92% |
Kia Sonet
Kia Sonet
A rather special month for the SUV, the Sonet completed its four glorious years in the Indian market on September 18th. Considering that the Sonet is merely 4 years old, the SUV’s success story is impressive in every way. Rightly dubbed as one of India’s most loved compact SUVs, the Sonet has already managed to sell over 4 lakh units; a feat that is rarely achieved in this time frame. What makes the Kia Sonet a groundbreaking success in the segment, is its sporty yet modern looks, which are offered along with well-refined engine choices and a host of premium features. And now with the all-new Kia Sonet facelift well integrated, the SUV’s popularity has truly evolved for good. Coming to monthly sales, the Sonet managed to sell a healthy 10,335 units in September 2024, compared to the 4,984 units it sold in the same month last year. This helped Sonet report the brand’s highest year-on-year growth of about 107%. With this, the Sonet became the best-selling Kia car of the month in addition to being the fifth best-selling compact SUV.
Offered with three peppy engines, the Kia Sonet, comes with a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine, a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel unit. Transmission onboard the Sonet includes either a six-speed iMT or a seven-speed DCT for the turbo petrol, a five-speed manual for the naturally aspirated petrol, and a six-speed manual/AT/iMT for the diesel.
Also Read: Comparison: Sonet vs Venue
Kia Seltos
With the Seltos facelift helping the SUV sales soar high, Seltos has once again gotten back its turbo-petrol engine, and that too in a bigger 1.5-litre avatar, along with smart yet significant cosmetic changes and a bunch of new features. All this has helped the SUV regain its lost charm and capitalise on its popularity of being one of India’s most loved SUVs. Registering commendable sales figures in September, the Kia Seltos managed to sell 6,959 units in September 2024 despite a saddening 34% decline in terms of year-on-year numbers, compared to the 10,558 units the SUV sold in the same month last year. Nonetheless, the SUV still managed to become the second best-selling Kia car of the month, in addition to being the fifth best-selling SUV of the month.
With the facelift boosting the Seltos’s already attractive package, the SUV comes with a bigger and better 1.5-litre turbo-petrol unit that comes mated to a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT, along with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol offered with 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic and a 1.5-litre diesel engine with 6-speed iMT or 6-speed torque-convertor automatic.
Also read: Top selling Maruti Cars
Kia Carens
Kia’s response to the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, the Kia Carens has held on to its ground quite well. Recently turning two, the Kia Carens’ story has already created ripples in the market, thanks to its utterly premium approach, modern looks, and a better appeal in terms of overall cabin comfort and looks than all the other competitors, especially the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Selling 6,217 units in September 2024, the Kia Carens, reported a healthy year-on-year growth of about 44%, to close in as the third best-selling Kia car of the month, with a great run ahead that is evident from its improving sales and year-on-year figures as compared to previous months. In fact, the success of the Carens is such that it has already become one of the biggest contributors to Kia’s aggregate sales, in addition to being one of India’s best-selling seven-seater cars.
In terms of powertrains, the Carens is offered with three engines that include a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual, a new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mated with a six-speed iMT/seven-speed DCT, and a 1.5-litre diesel that comes mated with an iMT gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission.
Also read: Top selling Tata Cars
Kia EV6
The Korean automaker’s first all-electric offering in India, the Kia EV6 is an extremely loaded option in the premium electric segment. Even though the Kia EV6 is indeed an expensive product being a completely built unit (CBU) imported in India, it makes up for it through its premium cabin, exhilarating performance, top-notch features and great comfort. Selling a mere 12 units in September 2024, the EV6 reported a massive 92% decline in terms of year-on-year growth which is an alarming sign for the future of the EV. With this, the EV6 finished as the fourth best-selling Kia car of the month and one of India’s best-selling luxury e-SUVs.
In terms of battery and performance, Kia has offered the India-spec EV6 with a 77.4kWh battery pack that comes with two powertrain choices including a single-motor rear-wheel drive, and a dual motor all-wheel drive (325PS and 605Nm) setup. The EV6 offers an ARAI-claimed range of up to 708 km, which makes the EV6 a worthy buy, despite its hefty price tag.
