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Kia is off to its best sales start since 1962, but with new EVs on the way, the run has just begun
Kia just notched its best first-quarter sales performance since it began selling cars in 1962. With its first electric sedan, the EV4, launching this year, Kia says its sales run is just getting started.
Kia had its best sales start in company history in 2025
After a major brand revamp in 2021, which included a new logo, slogan, and design, Kia is already reaping the benefits.
The South Korean automaker sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first three months of 2025, topping its previous record of just over 765,100 set in the first quarter of 2024.
Kia sold 637,051 vehicles in overseas markets, 134,412 in Korea, and another 888 “special vehicles” in Q1 2025. The milestone comes after back-to-back record global sales years in 2023 and 2024.
Kia’s new look isn’t the only thing drawing buyers to the brand. It also has some of the most efficient, affordable electric cars on the market.
As part of its plans to offer “EVs for all,” Kia is launching a new lineup of mass-market electric vehicles. The EV5, a smaller electric SUV, was the first to launch in China in late 2023, starting at around $20,000 (149,800 yuan).
Kia followed it up with the EV3, another compact electric SUV, last year. Kia’s vice president Won-Jeong Jeong called it a “game-changer” after securing over 10,000 orders in Korea within a month.
Even more growth on the way?
The EV3 debuted in Europe last November, starting at around 36,000 euros ($39,000). According to Kia, the compact electric SUV is already helping draw in new buyers.
A company official said that the EV3, alongside the new Sportage and Sorento, “led to strong sales last year, recording the best first-quarter sales ever.”
With new models, including its first electric sedan, Kia says this could be just the start. The company official added, “We will continue the sales momentum with competitive new models such as the EV4 and Tasman,” Kia’s midsize pickup.
Kia opened EV4 pre-orders in Korea last month for under $30,000 (41.92 million won). Jeong said the electric sedan will “present a new direction in the domestic electric vehicle market, which has been formed around SUVs.”
Later this year, Kia will launch the EV4 globally, including in the US and Europe. A hatchback version (that actually looks pretty sleek) is also set to roll out, aimed at the European market.
Kia also confirmed this week that the EV6 and EV9 are in full-scale production at its West Point, Georgia, Plant.
The company said the move will help “further accelerate the growth of Kia’s electric vehicle sales” in the US, one of its most important markets.
And this is just the start. Kia is launching a new lineup of electric vans as it expands into new segments. Its first, the PV5, is a midsize electric van expected to rival the Volkswagen ID.Buzz.
Source: Hyundai
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