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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
KIA AMERICA POSTS EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF YEAR-OVER-YEAR SALES GROWTH
• 79,007 units sold in May, a 5-percent increase compared to previous year • Best-ever May performances for Telluride, Sportage, Carnival, and K4 • 2026 EV9 Nightfall Edition and EV9 GT-Line with two-tone roof now available in showrooms IRVINE, Calif., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia America delivered 79,007 total units in May – up 5-percent over the same period last year – and extended the fast-growing brand's streak of consecutive months of year-over-year sales growth to eight. Retail sales at Kia dealerships increased by 8-percent over May 2024 and are up 15-percent year-to-date, reinforcing the company's continuous growth trajectory in the marketplace. The Carnival MPV, which introduced a new hybrid model last year, saw a significant sales increase of 68-percent year-over-year. Additionally, popular SUV models such as Telluride (+12-percent) and Sportage (+10-percent), along with the sporty K4 sedan (+4-percent), all achieved their highest-ever May sales. "As the second half of the year approaches, Kia's market competitiveness continues to strengthen with eight consecutive months of sales growth. Kia's diverse powertrain lineup, including ICE, hybrids, and EVs, coupled with the strong and sustained customer interest in the brand's Telluride, Sportage, Carnival MPV, and K4 models have been some of the key drivers of the company's continued sales growth," said Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America. "And we anticipate this growth trajectory will continue with the 2026 EV9 Nightfall Edition and EV9 GT-Line with two-tone roof now available in showrooms nationwide. With new design elements – including a new two-tone roof, as well as enhancements in driving range and performance – the upgraded EV9 Nightfall Edition and the EV9 GT-Line with two-tone roof are set to better meet the expectations of customers looking for a three-row, all-electric SUV." In addition to the monthly sales performance, Kia America announced several initiatives, including: Kia America announced through its "Accelerate the Good" Dealer Match program, the company and its nationwide network of retailers raised a total of $4.6 million for non-profit organizations in 2024, including donations totaling more than $1.5 million each to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® and No Kid Hungry®. Now in its fourth year, the initiative continues to provide critical support for a wide variety of causes across the United States. The 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid has been recognized in list of Best Hybrids for the Money, taking the win in the Compact SUV category. This latest accolade marks the second consecutive year the Sportage Hybrid has been recognized. The Kia K4 sedan has been named a 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX award winner. The annual Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX competition evaluates new or heavily redesigned vehicle interiors and user-experience technology, with scoring based on a variety of metrics including design and aesthetics, comfort, materials, fit-and-finish, connectivity and infotainment, displays and controls, as well as advanced driver assist systems and value. For the 2025 awards, 34 vehicles were OF MAY MAY YTD Model 2025 2024 2025 2024 EV9 37 2187 4,016 7766 EV6 801 2,660 5,190 8,770 K4/Forte 13,870 13,132 63,970 59,115 K5 6,957 1,950 28,951 9,036 Soul 5,043 5,740 21,389 23,900 Niro 2,354 4,215 9,820 14,721 Seltos 5,254 6,460 20,677 26,915 Sportage 17,063 15,512 74,536 66,537 Sorento 9,093 8,826 43,888 39,738 Telluride 11,560 10,315 52,267 44,842 Carnival 6,975 4,151 27,952 17,277 Total 79,007 75,156 352,656 320,531 Kia America – about us Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World's Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and WNBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*. For media information, including photography, visit To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at * Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Kia America Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Time of India
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Sales of Hyundai, Kia vehicles rise 16 pc in US in April
Seoul: Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia said on Friday their combined vehicle sales in the United States surged 16 per cent in April from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 162,615 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up from 139,865 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. Hyundai's vehicle sales jumped 19 percent to 81,503 units from 74,111 over the cited period, while those of Kia advanced 14 percent to 74,805 from 65,754, reports Yonhap news agency. Hyundai's sales figures include those of its independent luxury brand, Genesis. Strong sales of Hyundai's Palisade and Santa Fe, as well as Kia's Telluride and Sportage SUV models contributed to the robust monthly performance. "Reporting sales records for seven consecutive months has bolstered the Kia brand even more and we remain dedicated to further strengthening our product lineup and enhancing customer satisfaction through ongoing innovation," Eric Watson, vice president in charge of sales operations at Kia America, said in a press release. To that end, Kia has officially begun production of the EV6 and EV9 at its manufacturing facility in Georgia, where both models qualify for federal tax incentives, he said. From January to April, the two carmakers sold a combined 582,527 autos in the U.S. market, up 12 percent from 519,067 units in the same period last year, the data showed. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor has introduced a revamped version of its Xcient heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell truck at a clean transport exhibition in the United States. The revamped Xcient is tailored to meet a wide range of customer needs, including port transportation and medium-distance logistics. It is powered by a 180 kilowatt-hour (kWh) hydrogen fuel cell system. For hydrogen storage, it is fitted with 10 tanks that together hold approximately 68 kilograms of hydrogen, enabling the vehicle to support a wide range of commercial transportation needs. -IANS na/


Korea Herald
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Sales of Hyundai, Kia in US rise 16% in April
Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Friday their combined vehicle sales in the United States surged 16 percent in April from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for sport utility vehicles. Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 162,615 vehicles in the US last month, up from 139,865 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. Hyundai's vehicle sales jumped 19 percent to 81,503 units from 74,111 over the cited period, while those of Kia advanced 14 percent to 74,805 from 65,754. Hyundai's sales figures include those of its independent luxury brand, Genesis. Strong sales of Hyundai's Palisade and Santa Fe, as well as Kia's Telluride and Sportage SUV models contributed to the robust monthly performance. "Reporting sales records for seven consecutive months has bolstered the Kia brand even more and we remain dedicated to further strengthening our product lineup and enhancing customer satisfaction through ongoing innovation," Eric Watson, vice president in charge of sales operations at Kia America, said in a press release. To that end, Kia has officially begun production of the EV6 and EV9 at its manufacturing facility in Georgia, where both models qualify for federal tax incentives, he said. From January to April, the two carmakers sold a combined 582,527 autos in the US market, up 12 percent from 519,067 units in the same period last year, the data showed. (Yonhap)
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kia is pitching Americans an affordable EV sedan with EV4 debut
Kia debuted its 2026 EV4 sedan at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, its first global electric sedan and one designed for customers looking for an affordable EV. Whether U.S. customers will gravitate towards a sedan is an open question — and one Kia isn't necessarily betting on. The company launched sales of the EV4 in South Korea and plans to bring it to Europe by the end of the year. Sales in United States are expected to begin in the last quarter of 2025 or first quarter of 2026, a Kia spokesperson told TechCrunch. Kia's primary pitch with the EV4 is affordability, and with a respectable range, interior features, tech touches it could finally give consumers another option. While Kia hasn't yet shared U.S. pricing, some have estimated that it would start at around $35,000, adding another competitor to the Tesla Model 3. Eric Watson, VP of sales at Kia America, confirmed the ballpark price range to TechCrunch. Tom Kearns, Kia's chief designer, said Wednesday that what "many EVs have in common is the pricing that leans more towards the higher end. But our ultimate goal is to make electrified attainable driving for everyone." That's why the EV4 has a "distinctive with a tech-forward design" and is affordable even with its "many advanced features," many of which can be found in Kia's higher end EV6 crossover utility vehicle and EV9 SUV. For U.S. buyers, however, that attractive price point could be at risk. President Donald Trump's proposed automotive tariffs threaten to add 25% to the cost of any imported vehicle — including the EV4, which Kia plans to build in South Korea and launch stateside in the first quarter of 2026. With the tariff landscape shifting by the day, it's impossible to say what buyers will be facing a year from now. Watson noted that Kia was open to exploring the idea of bringing production of the EV4 to the U.S. The automaker already has a facility in Westpoint, Georgia where it builds its EV6 crossover utility vehicle and EV9 SUV for the U.S. market, with SK On as its battery manufacturing partner. Despite having American manufacturing and domestically produced batteries, Orth Hendrick, Kia America's VP of product planning, said, "There are still a lot of components that are subject to tariffs. It's not good for business. We're hoping there will be some developments maybe over the summer." The Kia EV4 does have several things going for it that could make a buyer risk the tariffs, most notably its decent range. The standard 58.3 kWh battery, which comes with the 'Light' trim, has a range of 235 miles, and the long-range 81.4 kWh battery, which comes with the 'Wind' or 'GT-Line' trims, can go up to 330 miles. Kia said it focused on aerodynamics for the EV4, which likely helped boost those range numbers. The vehicle has a coefficient drag of .23 — the same as the Tesla Model 3. Both battery configurations provide power to the front-mounted 150 kW motors. And with V2L4 functionality, drivers can use the car's battery to charge devices like laptops and smaller electronics. The EV4 also charges with a DC fast-charger at a respectable 30 minutes, and its NACS charging port is located on the front passenger side for easy accessibility. Kia also played up its i-Pedal 3.0 system in the Ev4, which ecaptures energy and stores it in the battery, but gives drivers more control over the speed of deceleration using only the accelerator pedal. Now, onto the looks. Kearns said Kia wanted an opportunity to do things differently with the 2026 EV4, to break the norm of many EV makers that pushes prioritizes efficiency often at the expense of making a cool design statement. And looking at it up close, Kia's EV4 does have an interesting aesthetic; sort of a business in the front, party in the back vibe. Head on, you can see the low nose, long-tail silhouette, and fastback roofline of a classic sports car, and from the rear, vertical taillights, a two-piece roof spoiler, and sleek bumper design give it a more aerodynamic, tech-forward presence. Speaking of tech, the car boasts your standard futuristic, minimalistic, high-tech interior. Standouts include the two-spoke steering wheel, 64-color dynamic ambient lighting, a free-floating user interface comprised of dual 12.3-inch screens and a five-inch climate display. That's where you can find all your navigation and entertainment features, including wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Like Kia's other EVs, the EV4 also offers the chance to enhance connectivity and entertainment features through over-the-air updates, including adding personalized display themes across the cockpit like your 'favorite NBA team' for all the environment-loving super fans out there. In terms of other tech-forward features, the drivers can access their EV4 via Kia's digital key through their cell phones, and Kia's AI Assistant uses voice recognition and natural language processing to help drivers control vehicle functions, trip plan, and more. The EV4 also comes standard with a suite of driver assistance features, including Kia's Highway Driving Assist, which automatically adjusts the vehicle's set speed to match the posted speed limit and maintains distance from the vehicle ahead. Kia's ADAS also includes assistance with forward collision avoidance, lane following, remote smart parking, driver attention warning, and hands-on steering wheel detection. This article has been updated with more information from Kia representatives about design and tariffs. It was originally published April 16 at 7:53 am. Sign in to access your portfolio