Kia Motors has seen record European sales for its hybrid and electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2020, despite a decline in total vehicle sales as a result of disruption caused by the coronavirus. The company also captured its highest-ever share of the European market in the first quarter.

According to new data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Kia’s total European sales declined to 113,026 units in the first quarter of 2020. This figure represents a fall of around 14.5% compared to the first quarter of 2019, when the company recorded its best-ever quarterly sales in Europe (132,174 units).

However, the decline was smaller than that seen by the wider European automotive sector (a 26.3% fall in new car sales across the EU, EFTA and the UK). As a result, Kia’s market share grew from 3.2% in the first quarter of 2019 to
an all-time-high of 3.7% in the first quarter of 2020. Despite a challenging start to the year, sales of new electrified Kia models (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles) grew by 20.8% to 21,340 units.

Electrified models accounted for 18.9% of all new Kia sales in Europe during the first quarter of 2020 — up from 13.4% during the first quarter of 2019.

Emilio Herrera, Kia Motors Europe COO, said: “The first three months of 2020 were challenging for the whole industry, but we saw growing sales of Kia’s range of hybrid and electric cars, with every electrified model line that we sell in Europe seeing sales growth.”