Kia is charging up in Spain's EV market with quality, star power

A customer shops at Kia Integral Car, a dealership in Barcelona, Spain. [KIA]

 
TERRASSA, Spain — Juan, 75, a resident of Barcelona, Spain, has decided to buy a Kia Stonic hybrid SUV after disposing of his old car, a Fiat hatchback, driven by his family’s strong suggestion.
 
“My family is a big fan of Kia, they own three Kias — a Sportage, Niro, and Rio — and recommended the brand to me,” he said at Kia Integral Car, a dealership, while inking a contract after an hour-long test drive.
 

“I really liked the Stonic’s hybrid engine, and its fuel efficiency,” Juan said, adding that it is the “perfect car to drive through narrow allies of the Catalonia region.”
 
 
Spain emerged as Kia’s third-largest market in Europe as of 2024, contributed by the automakers’ latest EVs and hybrid vehicles that have seen a surge in sales. Kia’s total sales in Spain came in at 56,220 units in 2024, an 184 percent spike from 2013.
 
Of the vehicles sold, nearly 72 percent were electrified cars including hybrid cars at 63 percent, pure EVs at 5 percent and plug-in hybrids at 4 percent.
 
Kia was the sixth largest automaker in Spain, with a 5.9 percent market share. First entering the market in 1992, the automaker has established more than 200 dealerships across the country.
 
EVs are at the center of Kia’s dramatic growth, which has been on an upward trend for seven consecutive years since 2017.
 

Cars are displayed at Kia Integral Car, a dealership in Barcelona, Spain. [SARAH CHEA]

Mechanics examine Kia cars at Kia Integral Car, a dealership in Barcelona, Spain. [KIA]

 
Kia’s EV sales soared 598 percent to 2,645 EVs in Spain in 2024, with the Niro EV becoming its best-seller with a total of 6,513 units sold.
 
The Korean automaker became the seventh-largest EV brand in Spain after Tesla, BMW, BYD, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo Cars and MG Motor.
 
“Kia is recognized as a trustworthy brand known for good prices but with enough high-end quality to appeal to customers regardless of their age,” said Agusti Garcia, managing director at Kia Integral Car, during an interview with the Korean press on Feb. 25, adding that lots of Toyota Motor owners move to Kia.
 
“Tennis player Rafael Nadal is showing constant support for Kia, which is very meaningful for Spainish customers and improved its awareness,” He added. “It’s no exaggeration to say that Kia has grown with Nadal’s growth here.”
 

Agusti Garcia, managing director at Kia Integral Car, speaks about Kia's growth in Spain during an interview with the Korean press on Feb. 25. [KIA]

 
Kia appointed Nadal as the brand ambassador in 2004, when the player was only 17. Their partnership has continued since then, with Nadal now personally owning an EV9 and picking it as his favorite car. Mercedes-Benz requested him to be its ambassador, but Nadal refused.
 
Spain’s electricity costs 0.096 euros (1 cent) per kilowatt-hour, over half of Seoul’s 320 won.
 
The Spanish government had been offering up to 7,000 euros for EV purchases, regardless of size or mileage per single charge, which was just halted in January. The government is currently discussing reviving the incentive.
 
“Despite the subsidy suspension, Kia is expanding its presence thanks to the huge popularity of the EV3, its compact SUV,” said Eduardo Mozas, dealer development general manager at Kia Spain.
 
The EV3 was the best-selling EV in Spain, beating BYD’s Dolphin and Dacia’s Spring.
 
“The EV2 will certainly be a big success in Spain, with its compact size largely preferable among Spanish customers," Mozas said.
 
Kia on Feb. 24 unveiled the EV4 electric sedan, the PV5 electric van and the EV2 concept at an EV Day held in Tarragona, eastern Spain, along with a plan to launch a total of 15 EV models by 2027.
 

Mechanics examine Kia cars at Kia Integral Car, a dealership in Barcelona, Spain. [KIA]

 
Sales of the EV4 will start in the first half in Europe with a price tag of some 37,000 euros. It is also offering a hatchback option exclusively for European customers.
 
The PV5 will also hit the road in the second half of the year, looking to take on heavy hitters like the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Ford E-Transit minivans.
 
The EV2 will be released in 2026, with a price tag of 30,000 euros. As a Europe-targeted model, the small SUV’s launch in other countries is currently not in the works.
 
“Europe will love the EV2. We expect to sell at least 10,000 EV2s in Europe,” Kia CEO Song Ho-sung said at the event on Feb. 24. “Many auto brands are losing money on EVs due to the slowing down demand. Kia, however, as always, will make profits through EVs this year.”
 
“The EV market is seeing a decline in growth, but it is still a big market with an expected 290 million units to be sold by 2030, and certainly a ways to go.”

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]