On the 25th of last month (local time), Juan (75), who I met at Kia's large dealership 'Kia Integral Car' located on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain, responded to the question of what prompted him to purchase a car at this location by saying this: "I have been driving a Volkswagen Passat, but I changed cars at the suggestion of my family," he added, "My family is also driving a Kia Sportage and Niro, respectively."
Kia is rapidly growing in Spain, a major automobile market in Europe. Kia, which has targeted the Spanish market by leading with internal combustion engine vehicles such as the mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) Sportage, plans to expand its market share by launching electric vehicles one after another.
Spain is considered one of the five largest automobile markets in Europe, along with Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Last year, automobile sales in Spain reached 964,763 units, an 8% increase from the previous year. Recently, uncertainty in the U.S. market has grown due to President Donald Trump's announcement of tariffs on imported cars, which has made the importance of the European market, including Spain, even greater.
Kia established its local corporation in Spain in 2004 and began direct sales. In the first year, it sold 30,000 units, followed by 100,000 units by 2006, 200,000 units by 2009, and 300,000 units by 2014. As of last year, 20 years after the establishment of the corporation, the cumulative sales exceeded 860,000 units.
The leading brand in the Spanish automobile market is Toyota, which sold 97,745 units last year. Following Toyota are Volkswagen (71,555 units), Renault (65,632 units), Seat (65,243 units), and Hyundai Motor (64,731 units).
Kia sold 63,378 units in 2022, finishing second after Toyota, which sold 74,789 units at that time. In 2023, Kia dropped to third place and fell to sixth place last year.
Augustin Garcia Sala, the president of Kia Integral Car, stated, "Sales decreased after the compact sedan Rio, which was popular in Spain, was discontinued last year," adding, "This year, new models are expected to be launched, so rankings are forecasted to rebound."
The new models that Kia expects this year in the Spanish market include the EV4, EV5, and PV5, all of which are electric vehicles. Among these, the EV4 and PV5 were unveiled globally for the first time at 'Kia EV Day' held in Spain on the 24th.
The EV4 is Kia's first compact electrified sedan. Having previously sold electric vehicles only as SUVs, Kia has expanded its sales lineup by introducing the EV4. With a driving range of 533 km on a single charge, it boasts the longest range among all electric vehicles under the Hyundai Motor Group.
Kia anticipates that the EV4, a compact sedan with relatively low price burdens and a long driving range, can fill the void left by the discontinued Rio.
The PV5, the first model of Kia's purpose-built vehicle (PBV), is also garnering expectations. PBVs are vehicles that share a basic platform but apply different appearances and functions according to their intended uses. Currently, Toyota dominates the commercial vehicle market in Spain, and many expect the fully electric PV5 to be a competitor.
Currently, the share of electric vehicles in the Spanish automobile market is below 10%, but sales have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Last year, electric vehicle sales in Spain reached 58,859 units, a 145% surge compared to 23,977 units in 2021.
Last year, Tesla ranked first in the Spanish electric vehicle market with 16,661 units sold. Following Tesla were BMW (3,966 units), BYD (3,801 units), Mercedes-Benz (3,470 units), Volvo (3,241 units), and MG (3,210 units).
Kia stayed in seventh place with 2,645 units sold. However, following the release of the compact SUV EV3 last year, three new models are expected to be launched this year, indicating a high likelihood of a rebound in electric vehicle sales rankings. In January, 417 units of the EV3 were sold, surpassing 394 units sold of BYD's main model, Dolphin.
A representative from Kia noted, "We have completed a diverse lineup of eco-friendly vehicles by introducing several electric vehicles, along with the Niro, Sportage, and Sorento hybrids," adding, "We plan to expand the number of electric vehicle models sold in Spain to 15 by 2027."