Kia achieves 10,000 annual sales in Ireland for first time
Kia has reached a significant milestone in Ireland by achieving 10,000 annual sales for the first time, highlighting the Korean brand’s growing popularity and strong performance within the Irish automotive sector.
The 10,000th vehicle registered was a Kia EV4 purchased by mechanical contracting firm, Rockwell Engineering at Sleator Kia in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
“Reaching 10,000 annual vehicle sales is a testament to Kia’s strategic efforts and customer-focused approach,” declared Ronan Flood, managing director of Kia Ireland. “This achievement is thanks to our fantastic dealer network who work tirelessly at a local level to enable the best possible customer satisfaction which ensures repeat custom to allow for such an achievement.”
From left: Ronan Flood, managing director at Kia Ireland; Criostoir Sleator, dealer principal at Sleator Kia; and Garret Murphy, managing director at Rockwell Engineering and 10,000th Kia Ireland customer.
Launched in South Korea in 1944, Kia began selling cars in Europe during the 1990s with first vehicles arriving in Ireland in 2001. Kia Ireland launched as a subsidiary of its European headquarters in 2004 and has shown significant annual growth ever since.
The earliest available sales data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) comes from the year 2007, where Kia registered 3,845 vehicles and finished 15th in the manufacturers sales table with two per cent market share. In that year, 51 per cent of sales came from petrol vehicles and 49 per cent diesel, with hatchback sales being the most popular body type.
So far in 2025, Kia has achieved over 10,000 sales thanks to 9,802 passenger car sales and 201 car-derived van sales. Today, Kia sits in 5th position and possesses an eight per cent market share with a much more diverse sales mix that includes 29 per cent full electric (BEV) sales, 19 per cent plug-in hybrid (PHEV), 19 per cent diesel, 17 per cent hybrid and 16 per cent petrol with SUVs being the most popular body type accounting for over 60 per cent of sales year to date.
Building on this success, Kia says it is well-positioned to further increase its market share in Ireland. The continued rollout of new models, especially in the electric and hybrid segments, is expected to attract new buyers.
In addition, Kia will make an announcement regarding the appointment of new dealerships in the coming weeks, which is expected to increase brand coverage throughout the country.
“This milestone not only celebrates past success but also signals a bright future for Kia in Ireland, with opportunities for continued growth as we move into the light commercial van business next year also. With some of the best offers in the market for 261, I would strongly encourage anyone in the market for a new vehicle to visit their local Kia dealership and see what we have to offer for 2026,” concluded Flood.