Building on 2022’s best-ever market share achievement, Kia America opened 2023 with a record first quarter of 184,136 units, a 15-percent increase over the previous high set in 2021.
Kia’s March total of 71,294 marked the second-highest monthly performance in company history and was the eighth consecutive month of record-breaking sales. March sales were up 19.8-percent over the same period last year and up 7-percent over the previous March record. In addition, four Kia models – Carnival up 81-percent, Sportage up 37-percent, Telluride up 23-percent, Forte up 14-percent – achieved best-ever March totals while the brand’s electrified models increased 10-percent over the same period last year.
“Kia’s record first-quarter is a direct result of our consistent efforts to build our brand, improve residual values, and deliver world-class models with cutting-edge design and innovative technology,” said Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America. “Kia’s transformation will continue to accelerate as production availability of important SUVs and in-demand electrified vehicles improves throughout the year.”
In addition to the monthly and first-quarter record-breaking sales performances, several significant industry awards were bestowed on various models within Kia’s world-class line-up, including:
- Nine Kia models were named to the 2023 Car and Driver Editors’ Choice Awards list. The winners, all 2023 model year vehicles, include the Sportage, Sorento, Carnival, Niro Hybrid and PHEV, K5, Soul, Rio, and the Car and Driver 10Best-winning EV6 and Telluride (four-time winner), represent the publication’s annual standard of automotive excellence.
- Three Kia models achieved top honors in the annual “Best Cars for Families” rankings presented by the editors of U.S. News & World Report. The rugged and refined 2023 Kia Telluride SUV was named “Best 3-Row SUV for Families” for the fourth consecutive year, the all-electric 2023 Kia EV6 performance crossover was chosen as the first “Best Electric Vehicle for Families,” and the 2023 Kia K5 sedan earned its first title as “Best Midsize Car for Families.”
- Two Kia models were selected as top three finalists in two categories for the 2023 World Car Awards. The 2023 Kia Niro earned a position among the top three finalists for the World Car of the Year category, while the 2023 Kia EV6 GT was named a finalist in the World Performance Car category. The vehicles were selected by a jury of 100 distinguished international automotive journalists representing 32 countries, who evaluated a broad range of vehicles from around the world.
- The 2023 Kia Niro was also named the 2023 Women’s World Car of the Year, which follows the model’s “Urban Car of the Year” award from the all-women association earlier this year. The jury panel ultimately recognized the Niro as the overall “Supreme Winner” among all other category winners.
| MONTH OF MARCH | YEAR-TO-DATE | |||
| Model | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 |
| EV6 | 988 | 3,156 | 3,392 | 5,281 |
| Rio | 2,439 | 2,829 | 7,008 | 6,507 |
| Forte | 11,891 | 9,609 | 30,526 | 23,498 |
| K5 | 5,774 | 5,470 | 14,288 | 17,822 |
| Stinger | 958 | 1,026 | 2,046 | 3,107 |
| Soul | 6,907 | 5,175 | 16,984 | 14,124 |
| Niro | 2,736 | 3,964 | 9,827 | 9,226 |
| Seltos | 6,156 | 4,947 | 13,894 | 11,119 |
| Sportage | 12,965 | 7,778 | 31,684 | 16,460 |
| Sorento | 6,886 | 6,238 | 20,166 | 17,923 |
| Telluride | 10,585 | 7,668 | 27,190 | 22,076 |
| Carnival | 3,009 | 1,664 | 7,131 | 4,051 |
| Total | 71,294 | 59,524 | 184,136 | 151,194 |