Kia goals to additional improve its Europe market share this 12 months however will revise its purpose if the coronavirus pandemic shouldn’t be introduced below management, its high European govt mentioned.
 
“We’re off to a tough begin but when the present wave does not transcend February and we will see a restoration in March, then we will nonetheless save the 12 months,” Kia Europe Chief Working Officer Emilio Herrera advised Automotive Information Europe.
 
Kia will transfer “to be extra real looking” if the pandemic doesn’t ease, Herrera mentioned.

Kia’s autos gross sales fell 17 % to 416,715 in 2020 within the EU, EFTA and UK international locations in a market down 24 %, in keeping with knowledge from trade affiliation ACEA. Its market share grew to three.5 % from 3.2 %, nearly matching its sibling model Hyundai, whose share remained secure at 3.6 %.
 
Kia was helped by its comparatively low quantity of gross sales to short-term automotive rental automotive corporations, which final 12 months took an enormous hit in international locations reminiscent of Spain as a result of tourism and enterprise journeys have been slashed by the pandemic.
 
Kia additionally often performs higher than most opponents in disaster occasions as a result of its automobiles are perceived by shoppers as a rational selection, Herrera mentioned.  
 
Kia additionally put some very aggressive actions in place to spice up gross sales. For instance, in France the model decreased the rate of interest for financing and allowed consumers to defer funds till January 2021.
 
Kia’s 2021 purpose for European automobile gross sales is 500,000. The model final offered greater than half one million automobiles within the area in 2019 when its quantity was 502,841.
 
A doable 20 % improve for Kia would barely outperform the European market as a complete, Herrera mentioned.  
 
Kia’s gross sales could also be dragged down by market-specific points, reminiscent of Brexit-related pink tape within the UK and the uncertainty about rental automobiles and a change in CO2 emissions taxes in Spain.

Kia achieved its European Union-mandated CO2 fleet emissions discount goal in 2020 however might want to double gross sales of full-electric automobiles within the area to satisfy its 2021 purpose, Herrera mentioned.
 
Kia offered almost 40,000 full-electric autos in Europe in 2020, in keeping with firm knowledge. This 12 months the automaker should promote near 70,000 battery-powered automobiles due to the EU’s more durable CO2 discount purpose.

Kia presently sells two full-electric vehicles in Europe, the Soul and Niro small crossovers. In September, the corporate will launch a compact-sized full electrical crossover, its first EV primarily based on mum or dad Hyundai Motor Group’s new E-GMP modular electrical platform.
 
The EU’s CO2 goal for Kia for 2021 is about 110 grams per km. “We estimate will can get to 108.9 g/km, primarily based on the present forecast,” Herrera mentioned. However Kia believes a “buffer is critical as a result of it’s totally tough to steer gross sales and shoppers purchase what they need,” he mentioned.
 
Kia was 2.5 grams under its 2020 goal, Herrera mentioned.