30 Million Kias Sold Worldwide

Kia has reached yet another great sales milestone: 30 million Kias have been sold globally, ever since the Korean automaker began to produce three-wheeled vans (known as the K-360) back in 1962.

Since then, the Kia Rio has become the brand’s most popular model globally, selling around 3,460,000 worldwide. The Rio is followed closely by the Sportage at about 3,110,000 units moved. Rounding out the top three is the Kia Sorento, which has sold approximately 2,020,000 examples since hitting the market in 2004.

So what exactly does 30 million Kias look like? According to Kia, if you took 30 million Optimas and lined ‘em up, bumper to bumper, they would span 40,000 kilometers (about 24,855 miles), which is roughly 3.6 times around the circumference of the earth.

Kia cited a number of important steps along the way to reaching 30 million vehicles. Instances such as management normalization during the 1990s Asian financial crisis, global expansion to North America to Europe, and the 2007 shift to innovative design and technology that resulted in the award-winning Kia Soul are largely responsible for the brand’s success.

Congratulations, Kia, and good luck on the next 30!