Kia Motors Plans EBay Sales of New Autos to Help Boost U.S. Market Share
Kia Motors Corp. will begin selling new vehicles through EBay Inc. as South Korea’s second-largest automaker looks to increase brand recognition in the U.S. with the help of the second-most visited e-commerce site.
More than 300 of Kia’s 725 U.S. dealers are enrolled to list their inventory on EBay and kia.ebay.com, said Tom Loveless, Kia’s vice president of U.S. sales. EBay is pushing to expand sales of new vehicles, parts and services, which make up a smaller portion of revenue than used cars and trucks, said Nicolas Franchet, EBay Motors’ director of U.S. vehicles.
Kia, based in Seoul, will finish the year with its best market share since entering the U.S. in 1994, Franchet said. The automaker introduced seven new vehicles in the past 18 months, including the Soul hatchback and Sorento sport-utility vehicle.
EBay’s arrangement with Kia is similar to its new-vehicle promotion in California with General Motors Co. last year, which the automaker let expire after about eight weeks.
Kia’s Loveless and EBay’s Franchet declined to give financial details of the arrangement. EBay, based in San Jose, California, has deals with about half of the auto manufacturers in the U.S. for listing used vehicles, Franchet said.
“This exposes our brand to a percentage of the car-buying public that perhaps wouldn’t otherwise have considered us,” Loveless told Bloomberg in a telephone interview.
More Industry

Autos More Appealing
Consumers gave new cars better scores again this year for design, performance and more as mass-market brands kept gaining on premium lineups, JD Power found in an annual poll.
Read More →
Used EVs Defy Overall Market
While the used-car market saw three months of price declines or stagnation, the used EV segment did the opposite – rising for three straight months.
Read More →
Gone to the Dogs
A Stellantis brand decided to have some fun with one of its SUVs’ design to address growing emphasis on family pets.
Read More →
OEM Poll Sees Industry Evolution
Kerrigan Advisors’ survey of automakers finds that tariffs, technology, network tightening and other factors are poised to reshape auto retail.
Read More →
Luxe N.C. Dealerships Change Hands
A collection of Italian and English brand franchises were handed off to the owner’s friend in the business and include the Carolinas’ only Ferrari retail stores.
Read More →
Exposure Drives Interest in Chinese Cars
At a recent demonstration, consumers had the chance to ride in a Chinese-branded vehicle, a firsthand experience that improved their perceptions and purchase intent.
Read More →
Automotive Consumers Sink Further in Debt
Most financing metrics hit records in the second quarter as more buyers locked themselves into long terms and high monthly payments.
Read More →
Agent Advocate
Rob Mancuso, who comes from a long line of auto dealers, values general agents’ place in the industry and makes a case for them taking an even bigger seat at the table.
Read More →
Driving Under Distraction
Though consumers gave higher marks to new vehicles in JD Power’s most recent initial-quality poll, high-tech interference worsened, pointing to craving for simplicity.
Read More →
Affordable New Cars a Thing of the Past
More than one out of five new vehicles sell for more than $60,000, according to Edmunds. That's up 7% compared to prepandemic 2019.
Read More →