Kia Thrives in India: Sales Up 23.8% with Syros Leading the Charge

Kia is thriving in the Indian auto industry. In addition to the brand’s local volume model, Sonet, sales of the compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) Syros, introduced last month, have increased by 23.8%.

According to the Automobile Dealers Association of India (FADA), Kia sold 25,026 vehicles in the Indian auto market last month. This represents a 23.8% increase from the previous year’s (22,000 units) period, and 2,042 units were exported.

The Sonet, Kia’s local volume model, led the sales lineup with 7,598 units sold. The Seltos followed with 6,446 units, and the newly introduced Syros secured third place with 5,425 units sold. The Syros, in particular, has drawn significant attention. Launched in December of the previous year, the Syros has quickly become a standout model in India. Based on Kia’s K1 platform, it competes directly with popular models like the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, and Brezza.

The Syros has proven to be a hit, with over 10,000 units pre-ordered within just 20 days of its pre-order launch on January 3. The vehicle’s blend of advanced technology and sophisticated design has set a new benchmark for small SUVs in India, aligning with the country’s growing premiumization trend. Deliveries began on the first of last month, marking the Syros as a key model in Kia’s sales strategy.

Hardeep Singh Brar, head of sales and marketing at Kia India, highlighted that the company is steadily growing, thanks to strong customer demand and the brand’s commitment to providing cutting-edge mobility solutions. He added that, in particular, the success of the Syros is helping them reorganize their sales portfolio amid slowing sales of existing models.

Kia intends to use Sonet and Syros to target the local SUV market and significantly increase sales. It is committed to reaching 20% of the local SUV market, a 5 percentage point increase over its current share of 15%. This year, 300,000 units have been set as the annual sales goal. We anticipate an approximate 18% increase in sales.