Kia America has every reason to celebrate, as the brand recorded its best June ever. Additionally, year-to-date sales reached 430,727 units, an absolute record for the first half of the year.
Hybrids became the main growth driver
The automaker received a boost from high fuel prices, as consumers actively chose hybrids. Sales of eco-friendly models surged 187% compared to last year, driven by strong demand for the Sportage Hybrid (up 165%), Sorento Hybrid (up 145%), and Carnival Hybrid (up 54%).
Sales leaders and model dynamics
Looking at the numbers, the best-selling model in June was the Sportage. Consumers purchased 15,995 units, an increase of 26.6% from last year. The updated Telluride came in second with 11,432 units, up 23.7%.
The K4 model finished third with 10,553 sales, down 8.7% from a year ago. Fortunately, the K5 avoided a similar fate, with sales rising 13.6% to 6,378 units.
Electric vehicles: mixed results
The situation with electric vehicles was mixed: EV6 sales fell by 96 units to a modest 584. In contrast, the EV9 showed growth of 42.3% to 1,299 units.
First half results
Looking more broadly, over the first six months of the year, Kia sold 94,907 Sportage units. The Telluride and K4 are neck and neck with figures of 73,602 and 73,579 units, respectively. They are followed by the Sorento (49,348) and Carnival (40,068).
The Carnival minivan deserves special attention: June sales grew by 34.4%, and over the first six months of the year, the model added 20.9%. This is solid growth, demonstrating that the minivan market still remains significant.
Successful farewell to the Soul and future plans
It’s also worth noting that Kia managed to gradually phase out the Soul model without an overall sales decline. This is a positive development, as in June 2025 the model found 4,737 buyers, and in the first half of last year — 26,126.
Eric Watson, Vice President of Sales at Kia America, noted:
“These results illustrate our ability to respond to changing market demands by refreshing our showrooms with the right mix of ICE, hybrid, and electrified models. Entering the second half of the year, we expect our momentum to continue thanks to strong demand for the all-new Seltos, which will begin full-scale sales nationwide in July, along with the continued success of the 2027 Telluride, the expansion of our hybrid lineup, and the launch of the all-new EV3.”
Kia US sales table for June 2026
Below is a detailed breakdown of sales by model:
Interestingly, Kia’s success is based not just on one model, but on a balanced portfolio. The growth in hybrid sales indicates that the company reacted in time to changing consumer preferences, as buyers seek fuel economy without completely abandoning traditional engines. At the same time, the decline in EV6 sales may be a signal of the need for a model update or a more aggressive marketing strategy for electric vehicles. The future launch of the EV3 and the new Seltos will likely help Kia not only maintain but also accelerate its growth pace in the second half of the year, especially in the affordable electric car and compact crossover segments.