Kia posted its strongest-ever sales performance in the United States in 2025, crossing the 800,000-vehicle mark for the first time, even as deliveries of its battery-electric models declined, underscoring a shift in demand toward hybrids and conventional SUVs.
Kia America said it sold 852,155 vehicles in the United States last year, marking its third consecutive annual record and lifting the brand to its highest U.S. market share to date. The automaker attributed the growth to a broad lineup spanning internal combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models.
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Several nameplates recorded their best-ever annual sales, including the Carnival, Sportage, Telluride and K4. Electrified vehicle sales rose 24% year on year, Kia said, though that growth was largely driven by hybrids rather than fully electric vehicles.
The Sportage SUV, available with gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, was Kia’s top performer, with nearly 183,000 units sold in 2025, up 13% from the prior year. In contrast, sales of the all-electric Kia EV9 and Kia EV6 fell sharply. Kia delivered 15,501 EV9s and 12,933 EV6s in the United States, down 32% and 40%, respectively, from 2024.
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Kia said its overall performance reflected strong demand for SUVs and hybrid powertrains amid a competitive U.S. market. “The accomplishment was enough to push Kia to its highest-ever U.S. market share,” the company said, crediting its diversified model range.
Looking ahead, Kia expects new models such as the next-generation Telluride and the K4 hatchback to support sales momentum in 2026. However, the company has delayed the U.S. launch of several anticipated electric models, including the EV4 electric sedan and the high-performance EV9 GT, with no revised timeline announced.
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Kia’s existing electric SUVs received only minor updates for the 2026 model year. The EV6 underwent a more substantial refresh in 2025, featuring extended driving range, updated interior and exterior styling, and the addition of a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port for access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.