Kia and Hyundai Continue to Shatter Sales Records in Q2 2025

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10-07-2025

Both Hyundai and Kia have been on a tear this year, and they're still winning big
The roller coaster retail economy of 2025 continues to unfold. Kia and Hyundai are two automakers that have been riding the wave since the very beginning, with record Q1 sales this year. And it looks like the party goes on, at least for now. Their red-hot performance continues, with the pair breaking several records and in some cases seeing double-digit percentage volume increases for some of their most popular models. Here's how it all shook out.
2025 Hyundai Sonata N Line
2025 Hyundai Kona Electric
2026 Kia Sportage
Kia moved 416,511 vehicles total in the first half of 2025, which marks an eight percent increase year-over-year. Although the brand's battery electric vehicles struggled — the EV9 and EV6 saw considerable drop-offs year-over-year — hybrid models came in clutch. Kia says that hybrid models like the Niro Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid are up 70 percent compared to the same period last year. Another unexpected market shift came in the form of sedans. Sedan models increased 29 percent compared to the first half of 2024, and the new K5 specifically saw 170% growth year-over-year. Similarly, the Carnival, Telluride, Sportage, and K4 models all managed their best-ever first half of the year. Overall, this year marks a record first-half in volume for the brand, with a 12 percent gain over 2024.
Hyundai celebrated a great halfway point, too. Just like Kia, the brand celebrates a record-shattering first half of the year, moving 439,280 vehicles. That's a 10 percent increase over the same time period in 2024, driven in part by a 20 percent year-over-year surge in what Hyundai refers to as 'electrified' sales. Interestingly, arguably the brand's flagship EVs, the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6, saw a significant downturn from this time last year, dropping 12 and 8 percent, respectively. Buoying sales are the Venue, up 26 percent, and Tucson, up 25 percent. Hyundai also reported a best-ever June for hybrid and electrified vehicles, and the Elantra N and Santa Fe hybrid set new total sales records.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N
2025 Hyundai Tucson
2025 Hyundai Venue
Value plays a big part in both brands' success
There's been a lot of good press around the two automakers lately. Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis — all technically part of Hyundai Motor Group — tore it up in the 2025 IIHS Safety Rankings and in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study. But another reason sales may be on the rise for the two economy-minded brands is a lack of competition. The Hyundai Venue and Kia Soul are two of the least expensive vehicles on sale today, with the former starting at an unheard-of-in-2025 $20,200⁠. The Kia K4 starts around $23,000, delivering above-average aesthetics and all the technology most customers clamor for. The same goes for the Hyundai Elantra.
Looking at the sales figures, you'll see a pattern. The Hyundai Tucson leads among both automakers, moving 16,378 examples, and is cheaper than every one of its competitors. After that comes the Kia Sportage (12,630), followed closely by the Hyundai Elantra (12,412) and Kia K4/Forte (11,564), the latter two of which are similarly discount-priced. Arguably, the success Kia and Hyundai are enjoying is a direct result of their willingness to play in the sandbox that many automakers seem to be neglecting: budget-conscious consumers shopping at the sub-$30,000 mark.
Final thoughts
There's no other way to say it: Hyundai and Kia are positively killing it this year. It's not entirely surprising; the Korean automakers have come a long way, and their recent vehicles have the critical acclaim to prove it. Now, they have the sales figures, too. It will be interesting to see how long the duo can keep up the record-breaking run, especially as the economy continues to be anything but certain.
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