There's a cause for celebration for the Kia brand in the Philippines as the Kia Stonic turned out as a runaway hit in the country, leading the local lineup in sales for 2022.

During its recent 4th anniversary celebration, Kia Philippines also celebrated its record-breaking 34% sales increase compared to 2021. The new sales record exceeded the auto industry’s 26% pace.

Kia Philippines also announced that it received Kia Asia Pacific (K-APAC) recognition for achieving the highest growth rate in the Asia Pacific region. It was the Number 1 independent distributor in retail sales for 2022 in this part of the world. 

The local arm of the South Korean brand also has the highest improvement in the region, based on surveys conducted by K-APAC.

Robust dealer network

Kia Philippines attributes its success to its dealer principals, who have worked hard to reach these milestones. From 30 dealers in 2018, Kia Philippines grew to 42 dealers in 2022, and the nationwide network expansion continues.

The top-performing dealer groups commended during the event are well-known industry veterans Gateway Motors, Wheels Inc., Iconic Dealerships Inc., Traders of the Laus Group, and Grand Canyon. New partners Autohub Group,  Wheeltek, and Prime Legacy were also at the celebration.

The brand’s 42 dealerships will soon have refreshed exteriors, and by next year all will share Kia’s revamped interior design aesthetic.

The Kia Stonic: A leader in sales

If you are curious to find out how Kia Philippines was able to have a stellar year in terms of sales, we can look to its sales figures for clues. 

Leading the pack for the brand is the Kia Stonic, which has 2,332 units sold, or 46 percent of the automaker’s total sales. 

Next is the Kia Soluto, part of the brand’s relaunch in 2019 with 914 units or 18 percent.

Rounding up its sales figures is the Kia Carnival which proved to be a great success for the automaker in its newest form. Despite its premium price point, the Carnival moved 696 units, about 13.8 percent of total sales.

The South Korean brand is doing well in the Philippines, especially with the upcoming launch of the Kia EV6 slated for a March release. 

An Ayala Company

In 2019, Kia Philippines became part of the Ayala group of companies when it relaunched the brand with the introduction of the Kia Soluto and the Kia Stinger.

Soon after, the brand introduced other crossovers to its local lineup: the Kia Stonic, which became a hit, and the Kia Seltos. The all-new Kia Sorento and Kia Carnival then followed the crossover. 

The South Korean automaker has also announced that it will launch the Kia EV6 in March 2023 as the brand’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle in the country.

Are you a Kia owner? Does this news reassure you that you made the right purchase?