The Kia Sportage has been crowned the UK’s best-selling SUV and second best-selling car of any make or model in 2024, with 47,163 units sold of the popular family car, according to full year results published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Kia’s total volume in 2024 reached 112,252 units sold, with a market share of 5.7%, making Kia the fourth best-selling brand overall – an impressive new record. Importantly, Kia’s sales mix of electric and electrified models ensured it was on track to achieve the inaugural ZEV mandate target.
In the year that saw England reach the UEFA Euro 2024 final, Paris host the Olympics again after a 100-year wait, and the return of a Labour Government, the Kia Sportage once again proved to be Kia’s most popular model. The family SUV made up around 42% of Kia’s total sales, thanks to its enduring appeal and range of efficient and electrified powertrains.
Combined, Kia’s three Compact SUVs – the Sportage, Niro and XCeed – easily made Kia the best-selling brand in this extremely competitive segment. Combined sales of these three models totalled 72,836, giving Kia a domineering 12.6% overall share of the C-SUV market.
Kia’s Eco models (fully electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid), accounted for half (50%) of total sales (56,467), ensuring Kia ended the year as the second best-selling brand for electrified models.
While the Sportage and Niro continued to be the most popular models for Kia in the UK, the Ceed family (Ceed, Ceed Sportswagon, XCeed, ProCeed) and Picanto rounded out Kia’s big-four, combined with Sportage and Niro accounting for around 83% of the brand’s 2024 sales (see figure 1).
A bumper year of records, 2024 saw Kia achieve record sales months in February, April, June, July, August, September and October. In addition, these months contributed to record sales periods across Q1, Q2, H1, Q3, Q4, H2 and the entire year. 2024 was also a record year for hybrid sales, plug-in hybrid sales, and electrified sales.