MUMBAI : Kia Motors India has become the fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the country, two months after its foray with Seltos, a mid-size sports utility vehicle. The company dispatched 26,840 units of Seltos during this period.

During October, which had a slew of festivals, the South Korean company reported wholesales of 12,859 units, higher than peers like Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan and Renault.

Kia’s Andhra Pradesh plant has an annual capacity of 3 lakh units and the company has recently started a second shift to accommodate the demand for its first product.

“Kia Motors India has already received over 60,000 bookings for the Seltos till now and to ensure the timely and seamless delivery Kia has started the second shift to ramp up the production at its production facility in Anantapur. The company also shared that it will not close the bookings as the brand’s plant is fully capable of meeting the rising demand for the Seltos," said the company in a press release.

Kia, SAIC Motor-owned MG Motor and PSA’s Citroen are the three auto makers set to enter the domestic market this year and the next. Of the three, Kia has so far outlined the most aggressive strategy for India as it will start its journey with a capacity of 300,000 vehicles a year and 265 touch points— a mix of dealerships and service centres—across 160 cities. The subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group has invested around $1 billion in India.

“Kia’s philosophy is more about being a sustainable brand in India for the long term. We have learnt a lot of lessons from other competitor brands. So, we want to be the most loved in the first stage," said Kookhyun Shim, managing director and chief executive, Kia Motors India in a interview to Mint on August 22.

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