Kia experiencing improved stock supply for mid-2022

Kia is seeing improved supply of stock across its model range – with buyers of its Sorento, Stonic and Carnival among the biggest winners.

According to the Korean firm, it has been experiencing higher volumes of its Sorento large SUV over the last couple of months allowing it to “put a dent in back orders” for it – as well as for its Stonic light SUV and Carnival people-mover.

The recently-introduced plug-in hybrid variant of the Sorento is also understood to be selling well, though Kia executives told us arrival numbers are still limited.

Around 100 more examples of Kia’s halo electric car – the EV6 – are also expected to land locally later this year, the company has confirmed.

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Following an initial allocation of 500 vehicles, Kia Australia execs have said that lobbying their Korean bosses for more stock since the car’s launch at the beginning of 2022 has resulted in more coming our way.

Supply of its small Seltos SUV, however, remains tight.

“Our stock is ok – the problem we’ve got is the demand for the industry as a whole is at an all time high,” said Kia Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, Damien Meredith.

“There’s been extraordinary demand globally, and like many industries, we’re struggling to meet the expectation. Whether you want a coffee table or a new suit – you’ve got to wait.

“But it’s not all doom and gloom. I can assure you the demand, even with uncertainty, is still very high. Historically, at the time the Federal Election came business used to stop – but that hasn’t been the case over the last eight weeks. Our orders on a daily basis have been as buoyant as they’ve ever been.”

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Sources have told Wheels one of the reasons behind the improved stock situation is related to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine – with cars previously destined for Russia now being reallocated elsewhere globally and Australia has been one of those to benefit.

Back in March, Kia’s parent firm, the Hyundai Motor Company, pulled out of the country over “deep concern” surrounding the situation in Ukraine.

Despite being affected by supply issues impacting the whole automotive industry, Kia’s strong product range has allowed it to cement itself as a top five brand locally in recent years – and is even anticipating that this year it will sell more than 72,000 vehicles. It has never sold in excess of 70,000 annually so far.

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“We were in front of Hyundai half way through last year, but its supply loosened up far more than ours in the second half,” Meredith said. “Mitsubishi is also doing very well this year, but the race between Hyundai and Kia is supply driven – simple as that. I like to think together the Hyundai Motor Group is number two in Australia since that’s how they measure it in most countries.”

As of April, Kia did not have a top 10 model, either for that month or year-to-date, but overall it placed as the fourth most popular brand in Australia with 6180 sales – up eight per cent on the same time last year. So far in 2022 it has shifted 23,632 units, up three per cent on the same point in 2021. With new car sales figures for May due imminently, expect these figures to rise significantly.

“We don’t get caught up in the monthly rankings so much, and it’s a bad move for any OEM to be solely dependant on one model. Each car in our range has a dedicated role to play – we’re the sum of all our parts,” added Kia’s General Manager of Product Planning, Roland Rivero.