Kia continues its impressive momentum into the second half of 2025, following a record-breaking first six months. The company reported a total of 71,123 vehicles sold in July alone, marking a 12% increase over the same month in 2024. With cumulative sales of 487,634 units through July, Kia is already 37,000 units ahead of its performance in the first seven months of last year.
According to Eric Watson, Vice President of Sales Operations at Kia America, the brand is steadily on track to achieve its best annual sales ever, driven by exceptional growth in consumer demand and a likely all-time market share high.
Among Kia’s top-performing models, the Sportage maintained its lead with 14,392 units sold in July. The K4 (formerly Forte) followed with 11,188 units, while the Telluride secured the third spot at 10,411. The Sorento and Carnival completed the top five, with all these models showing year-over-year growth in sales.
However, not all segments experienced the same success. The Seltos saw a 10.3% decline, with July sales falling from 5,481 units in 2024 to 4,917 in 2025. Kia responded by introducing a more affordable entry-level trim for 2026, hoping to regain traction in the compact crossover segment.
The EV market proved even more challenging. Sales of the EV6 and EV9 both dropped notably in July. The EV6 fell to 1,290 units from 1,547 last year, while the EV9 dipped to 1,737 from 1,815. On a year-to-date basis, the EV6 is down nearly 43%, and the EV9 has declined by a similar margin. In response, Kia has reduced the price of the EV9 for 2026 to increase its competitiveness.
Looking ahead, Kia aims to finish 2025 strong. A recent trade agreement between the United States and South Korea lowered the auto import tariff from 25% to 15%, aligning it with rates applied to European and Japanese vehicles. This move could shift dynamics in the U.S. auto market, potentially benefiting brands like Kia in the long term.
