VFACTS 2022: Kia beats Hyundai in sales race for first time

Kia has become the most popular Korean brand in Australia for the first time after registering more sales than Hyundai in 2022.

The affiliate brands have been locked in a close battle since 2021 after years of Hyundai comfortably leading the showroom pecking order, but Kia Australia finally passed Hyundai Australia last year – by 78,330 units to 73,345.

Kia confirmed its ascendency after registering 5630 units in December compared with 4434 sales for Hyundai, according to official industry figures released today.

Kia’s sales increased year-on-year by 15 per cent, while Hyundai sales were less than one per cent above its 2021 total.

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It completes a remarkable run for Kia, which just eight years ago trailed its majority shareholder in this market by more than 70,000 units.

Kia outsold Hyundai locally in an individual month for the first time in March 2020, coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kia SUVs outsold most of Hyundai’s corresponding models. The Stonic baby SUV beat the Venue by 8557 to 6440 units; the Sportage mid-size SUV (pictured above) – up 136 per cent year on year – trumped the Tucson by 18,792 to 17,870 sales and the Sorento 7-seater SUV’s 7889 registrations defeated the Santa Fe (4595).

Hyundai’s Kona (11,538 units) was the exception in the in-house battle against the Kia Seltos (8504), and Kia has no equivalent model to the Palisade (4000 sales).

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Hyundai also won the small-car war with the i30 (21,166 sales) well ahead of the Kia Cerato (12,354).

The Kia Carnival (pictured above) continues to be unrivalled in the people-mover segment, with 8054 sales accounting for nearly three-quarters of the market share. Hyundai’s Staria was second-most popular with 1721 sales.

Kia remains outside of the commercial-vehicle realm with no alternative to the Hyundai Staria Load van (3291 sales), while Hyundai doesn’t offer a relative to either the Picanto micro car (5196 sales) or Stinger sedan (2242 sales).

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric car outsold its Kia EV6 twin – 756 v 564 sales – though these models have been significantly affected by limited supply.

Kia Australia's 2022 result, however, is still well short of the 100,000-plus figures Hyundai Australia posted between 2014 and 2016.

Hyundai v Kia in Australia 2006-2002