Kia Achieves Record-Breaking Sales in 2025, Sets Ambitious Targets for 2026
- Worldwide sales climbed by 2% to reach 3.13 million units.
- Sportage, Seltos, and Sorento dominated as the best-selling models.
- Company aims for 3.35 million vehicle sales in 2026.
As 2025 concludes, Kia is reviewing its yearly performance with a mixed outlook. The automaker recorded a 2% increase in total vehicle deliveries, hitting a new high of 3.13 million units globally. However, this figure fell short of the initial goal of 3.22 million units set for the year.
Despite not meeting its target, Kia remains optimistic and has set an even loftier sales goal for 2026: 3.35 million units. This optimism is fueled by a strong lineup of fresh models, including the upcoming iterations of the Telluride and Seltos.
SUVs were the cornerstone behind Kia’s sales growth last year. The Sportage led the charge with 569,688 units sold, followed by the Seltos at 299,766 and the Sorento with 264,673 sales.
Looking ahead, Kia is boosting production capacity to support stronger sales domestically and internationally. The company targets 565,000 vehicles sold within South Korea in 2026, up from 545,776 last year. Meanwhile, global sales outside Korea are projected to rise to 2.775 million units, compared to 2.58 million in 2025.
In addition, Kia plans to increase sales of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), such as military trucks, aiming for 10,000 units in 2026, nearly doubling last year’s 5,789 units.
Meanwhile, Hyundai, Kia’s parent company, also missed its 2025 sales target, delivering 4.14 million vehicles instead of the planned 4.17 million. For 2026, Hyundai has set a sales goal of 4.16 million units.
The upcoming Ioniq 3 electric vehicle is expected to attract buyers seeking an affordable EV option. However, since this model will launch later in the year, its full sales impact is anticipated in 2027.
Sources: Kia, Hyundai
