Hybrid power still part of Kia's UK masterplan

UK boss says combustion engines still have a role to play in Kia's model line-up

- Richard Ingram

KIA'S hybrid SUVs are being given a stay of execution, but the firm's UK boss says he's prepared to restrict supply as appropriate.

The South Korean firm has now sold more than 100,000 electric cars in the UK, but president and CEO Paul Philpott insists the company will continue to sell combustion-engined cars for as long as there is demand - cementing the future of Kia's popular Sportage and Sorento SUVs.

The maker's rapid rise in the EV market began in late 2014, but it took more than four years for Kia to sell 1,000 zero-emission models. From there, and thanks largely to the launch of the first-generation e-Niro SUV, Kia was catapulted to fame alongside the electric-car elite; the company sold almost 7,500 EVs in 2020, peaking at 21,934 cars last year.

Despite this success, Philpott remains realistic about overall EV appetite and insists Kia will continue to offer a range of powertrains until it is forced not to. In an exclusive interview, he told Auto Express: “Across Europe we've introduced the K4, so the evidence is there that we continue to invest in ICE. I can’t tell you how long that will go on for, but we will go on selling non-EVs for as long as we can.”