Kia's Electric Vehicle Sales Plummeted, But It Just Accomplished Something It Has Never Done Before | Carscoops

      Kia achieved a record sales milestone in the US for 2025, primarily driven by the Carnival and Sportage models. However, significant declines in deliveries of the EV6 and EV9 indicate emerging challenges beneath the surface figures.

      The South Korean manufacturer completed its most successful year in the United States, surpassing 800,000 sales for the first time and marking its third consecutive year of record sales. A total of 852,155 Kias were sold in 2025, reflecting a 7 percent increase from the 796,488 units sold in 2024, largely thanks to key models like the Carnival and Sportage. However, not all of Kia's lineup enjoyed the same success, particularly in its electric vehicle segment, which faced notable declines.

      In 2025, Kia's top-selling vehicle was the Sportage, with sales of 182,823 units, marking a 13 percent rise from 161,917 in 2024. The K4 followed with a modest increase to 140,514 units, slightly up from 139,778 the previous year. The Telluride also saw a rise in sales, increasing from 115,504 to 123,281 units.

      The Carnival was particularly impressive, with sales jumping 44 percent from 49,726 in 2024 to 71,917 in 2025. Other models like the Kia K5 improved from 46,311 to 72,751 units, and the Niro went from 30,094 to 31,182.

      In December alone, Kia sold 75,003 vehicles in the U.S., a 2.3 percent increase year-over-year. The Niro led this month’s growth with a significant 75.5 percent rise, while the EV6 sales plummeted nearly 65 percent compared to December 2024.

      However, not every Kia model performed well. Sales of the all-electric EV9 fell sharply from 22,017 units in 2024 to 15,051 in 2025, and the EV6 suffered an even larger decline from 21,715 to 12,933. Both models experienced similar drops in December, suggesting a broader slowdown in Kia's electric vehicle segment.

      The Soul observed minor decreases, going from 52,397 to 50,133, which was expected after its discontinuation in October last year. Seltos sales declined from 59,958 to 56,798, and Sorento deliveries fell slightly from 95,154 to 94,772. Nevertheless, despite industry-wide challenges for electric vehicles and shifting consumer preferences, Kia's overall performance remained robust.

      “Our third consecutive all-time annual sales record, along with our highest-ever U.S. market share, clearly demonstrate the strength of the Kia brand and the competitiveness of our models,” stated Sean Yoon, Kia North America president and CEO. He added, “With the second-generation Telluride and the eagerly awaited K4 hatchback set to arrive in showrooms in the first quarter, along with more new products on the horizon, we anticipate this positive trend to carry into the New Year and beyond.”