Kia Posts High Retail Sales Anew, Thanks to Two SUVs

Months after an extended hiatus for automakers in the United States, companies are slowly starting to recover from their losses earlier this year. In September alone, several brands recorded significant improvement in their sales numbers despite the still-evident effects of the global pandemic, particularly on the economy.

One such company is Kia, which has reportedly made a swift recovery after factory closures and supply chain issues. In July, the company made a new retail-only sales record after selling a total of 52,479 vehicles in the US. A huge percentage of this number is from the sales of the Sportage and Telluride SUVs.

In September, these numbers improved to 55,519 units, giving Kia the highest retail sales in the third quarter. The Sportage sold a total of 7,165 units; however, the previous month’s leader turned out to be the Telluride with 8,829 units sold.

The Telluride SUV posted an all-time monthly sales record and is now Kia’s fastest turning model in its history. The Sportage also recorded its best-ever September sales performance, followed by the Seltos with its new monthly sales record of 5,613 units sold. Also joining the list of the automaker’s highest monthly sellers is the Kia K5 with 5,763 units.

“Our strong September sales performance was led by record-setting sales of three of our popular capable SUVs, Telluride, Sportage, and Seltos, and also marked the brand’s best-ever quarterly sales total in our 25-year history in the US,” said Bill Peffer, Kia Motors America’s vice president for sales operations.

“With the recent introduction of the all-new 2021 Sorento SUV and the ongoing popularity of the all-new K5 midsize sedan, Kia enters the fourth quarter with the most robust model lineup ever,” he added. “Even despite the ongoing pandemic, Kia’s momentum remains strong as we have outperformed the industry yet again. We’re confident this upward trajectory will continue.”