As Hyundai has discontinued the Sonata taxi, the Kia Sportage LPi is rising as a powerhouse in the taxi market.
According to Kaizoo Research Institute, which provides vehicle registration statistics, the number of Sportage models registered as taxis is increasing rapidly.
The Sportage, with dimensions of 4,660×1,865×1,660mm, is classified as a compact SUV but boasts space comparable to mid-size sedans. The LPi powertrain that runs on LPG is an excellent choice for taxi use.
The price for the Sportage LPG trim starts at 26.01 million won, making it a more reasonable option compared to Hyundai’s Grandeur taxi, which starts at 35.80 million won, and is 1 million won cheaper than its K8 taxi, which starts at 27.95 million won.
Thanks to such attractive features, the registration of Sportage taxis has surged from 8 units when the LPG model was released last August to 206 units by June of this year. In the past year, 900 Sportage LPis have been registered as taxis, contributing to the Sportage’s sales. The average monthly sales for the Sportage in the first half of this year were 6,014 units, with 1.9% or 119 of them being taxis.
Kia’s Domestic Sales Headquarters stated, “With the discontinuation of the Sonata, the Sportage LPG model is emerging as a viable alternative” and expressed confidence that the Sportage LPi taxi will be a game changer in the standardized sedan taxi market.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr