Kia America continues winning streak with record January sales

2026 Kia Sportage
2026 Sportage
2026 Kia Sportage
2026 Sportage

Kia America’s record-breaking sales streak continued into the new year with January sales of 64,502 units, a 13 percent increase over the previous high set in January 2025.

Six Kia models – Carnival (+60 percent); Sportage (+23 percent); K5 (+8 percent); Telluride (+7 percent); Seltos (+6 percent) and K4 (+2 percent) – posted best-ever January sales and sales of Kia’s electrified models (+45 percent) and SUVs (+14 percent) also set new January sales records.

“Building on three straight annual sales records, January’s record performance shows that Kia is not slowing down as the brand’s strategy of giving customers everything they need and more than they expect across a variety of segments and powertrains attracts more and more new customers,” said Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America. “With the all-new flagship 2027 Telluride SUV, now available with a hybrid variant, and the highly anticipated K4 hatchback arriving in showrooms soon, 2026 will once again prove the value of offering a balanced lineup to U.S. customers and we are confident that our upward trajectory will continue.”

In addition to the monthly sales performance, Kia America also made additional announcements, including:

  • Pricing for the upcoming all-new 2027 Kia Telluride 3-row SUV (ICE), starting at $39,190 for a FWD LX trim. 
  • Seven Kia models earning top honors in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Cars for the Money Awards, including: 
  • Best Midsize Electric SUV for the Money: 2026 Kia EV9
  • Best Midsize Three-Row SUV for the Money: 2026 Kia Sorento
  • Best Midsize Hybrid SUV for the Money: 2026 Kia Sorento Hybrid
  • Best Compact Hybrid SUV for the Money: 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid
  • Best Compact Plug-in Hybrid for the Money: 2026 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid
  • Best Subcompact Hybrid SUV for the Money: 2026 Kia Niro
  • Best Compact Car for the Money: 2026 Kia K4
  • The 2026 Kia K4 Hatchback went on sale this month, joining the 2027 Kia Telluride in showrooms nationwide. 

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow us on Microsoft Start.

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the founder of Motoring Chronicle and an FIA accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following motorsport and the global automotive industry. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered Formula 1 races and automotive events at venues around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every race report, car review, and industry analysis he writes. His work spans the full breadth of motoring — from the latest EV launches and road car reviews to the cutting edge of motorsport competition.

Leave a Comment

More in News

How to Land the Biggest July 4 Car Deals on 850,000 Unsold 2025 Models

For most of the past three years, buying a new ...

Electric Cars Cost 42 Percent More to Insure Than Gas Models, New Data Shows

If an electric car is on your shopping list this ...

Tesla Sued and Federally Probed After a Model 3 Killed a Woman Inside Her Home

If you drive a Tesla and lean on Autopilot or ...
Learner driver

Driving Test Waits Range From 5 to 24 Weeks in New DVSA Centre Data

If you or someone in your family is learning to ...
Speedometer and tachometer with additional instruments

Why Your New Car Keeps Showing the Wrong Speed Limit (and What to Do)

If you have driven a new car recently and found ...

Trending on Motoring Chronicle

Man worker washing luxury car with sponge on a car wash

How to Legally Wash Your Car During a Hosepipe Ban (and Avoid a £1,000 Fine)

Reaching for the hose to blast the pollen and grime ...
Polestar-250507-5400_v002

Polestar 5 performance Grand Tourer officially revealed

Polestar, the Swedish electric car brand, officially reveals the Polestar ...
Freedom or safety for young drivers? UK can and must deliver both, says GEM 11/05/2026 SHARE: Images are for editorial use only. Experts gathering at Young Driver Focus in London on 13 May to press for action, not further delay Young drivers remain disproportionately at risk, with preventable deaths continuing on UK roads International evidence shows graduated driver licensing can cut crashes by up to 40% GEM Motoring Assist will return to the RAC Club, London, on 13 May as headline sponsor of Young Driver Focus 2026, renewing calls for decisive action to improve protection for newly-qualified drivers. Despite years of evidence and advocacy, the UK has yet to introduce a comprehensive system of graduated driver licensing (GDL) - a move GEM and other road safety groups say is costing young lives. GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said: “We are long past the point of asking whether we should act. The evidence is overwhelming, and the consequences of delay are measured in lives lost and families devastated.” GDL is a phased approach that allows new drivers to gain experience under lower-risk conditions before progressing to full driving privileges. Common measures include limits on late-night driving and restrictions on carrying same-age passengers during the months after passing the test. International research consistently shows crash reductions of between 20% and 40% where GDL systems are in place. In some regions of Canada, reductions in young driver deaths have exceeded 80%. In the UK, drivers aged 17 to 24 account for around 20% of road deaths, despite making up just 7% of licence holders. Inexperience, distraction and overconfidence remain key risk factors - precisely the issues GDL is designed to address. GEM stresses that a well-designed system supports rather than penalises young people, and a recent TRL review1 found no significant negative impact on access to education, employment or social activity. GEM supports a system that extends structured learning, reduces known high-risk conditions and allows young drivers to build skills progressively and safely. GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said: “We do many things well in the UK, particularly in driver training, but the current system offers too little structured support once someone passes the test. That’s where the real risk begins. “The choice is simple: continue with a system we know is failing too many young people, or take proven steps that will save lives. Doing nothing is not a neutral position - it is a decision with consequences… and Young Driver Focus offers a chance to translate the latest insight into real-world action.”

How Driving Without a Valid MOT Could Soon Cost You Penalty Points Under New Road Safety Plans

The government's first road safety strategy in over a decade ...
NewFlyingSpur-3

The new Flying Spur: the most powerful Bentley four-door ever [Photo Gallery]

Bentley is today launching its first four-door supercar – the ...
Should E-scooter Riders Be Tested And Insured?

Should E-scooter Riders Be Tested And Insured?

Ministers are considering new laws requiring e-scooter riders to pass ...