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Automobile manufacturer Kia Motors India has sold 1 lakh units since July 2020 in the domestic wholesale market.

Accordingly, the maker of Seltos, Sonet and Carnival has successfully dispatched 200,000 Kia vehicles to its dealerships across India within 17 months of sales operations in the country.

The second 1 lakh wholesale mark assumes significance since it took place during the economically volatile period just after the lockdown which was imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company said the top-end -- above GTX variants -- for Seltos, Sonet and Limousine variant for the Carnival has accounted for nearly 60 per cent of total cars sold.

As per a statement, Kia sold over 106,000 UVO connected vehicles on the road summing up to a humongous 53 per cent of the brand's total sales.

Besides, Seltos leads the sales charts for Kia Motors India with 149,428 units, followed by the Sonet with 45,195 units, and the Carnival with 5,409 units.

"In just over a year of sales operations, Kia has emerged as India's youngest automobile disruptor and one of the best-selling automobile brands in the country," said Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors India.

"We have reached this landmark figure of two lakh sales units and set a record in the Indian industry due to the immense trust and confidence shown in us by our valued customers and the extended Kia family, which consists of our dealer partners, vendor partners and all other Kia stakeholders," Shim added.

The rapid adoption of Kia cars reiterates the evolving customer preference towards a technology-led exceptional driving experience, coupled with great connectivity. Kia's focus has also been on offering products that are designed to fulfil consumer demands across both urban and rural areas.

Currently, Kia's manufacturing plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, is running on two-shift operations and given the increasing demand for Kia cars, the brand is evaluating operating in three shifts.

Kia aims to fully utilise the capacity of 300,000 units per annum at its manufacturing unit by 2022.

In addition, Kia now plans to expand its network further in Tier III and IV markets. It has 300 touch points throughout the country.

At present, Kia Motors India offers three vehicles for the Indian market - Seltos, Carnival and Sonet.