Car Sales October 2021: Kia Sales Decline By 22 Per Cent At 16,331 Units

Kia India has reported sales numbers for October 2021, and the numbers show sales under pressure, as is the case with several other automakers reeling under challenges from the global semiconductor shortage. The automaker sold 16,331 units last month, reporting a decline of 22 per cent when compared to 21,021 units sold during the same period last year. The automaker dispatched 10,488 units of the Seltos, 5,443 units of the Sonet, and 400 units of the Carnival in October 2021. Clearly, the Seltos remains the top performer for the automaker, while sales have seen a momentary drop.

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The Kia Sonet First anniversary edition was launched in October to celebrate the subcompact SUV's first year of sales

Speaking about the sales figures, Tae-Jin Park - MD and CEO, Kia India, said, "The adverse supply chain situation has been an opportunity lost for us; however, our customers' and vendors' continuous support has enabled us to maintain a healthy performance throughout the year. As we foresee the issue to continue for the next few months, we assure our customers to keep optimising our production to the maximum level and ensure delivery at the earliest. The company is keeping a close eye on the situation and are ready to take the necessary steps as and when required."

The 2021 calendar year though was a year of milestones for the automaker with the Seltos crossing the two lakh milestone, while the Sonet achieved the one lakh sales mark. In addition to this, the company's cumulative sales have crossed the 1.5 lakh mark in CY2021 with 159,641 units sold between January and October this year. That's a 48 per cent year-on-year growth when compared to CY2020 when 107,657 units were sold. Kia and other automakers are currently restricted by supply chain issues, especially with the semiconductor chip shortage. The company says it has managed to keep the waiting period for its cars to a minimum despite the constraints.