Kia and Hyundai are dominating the US market while traditional EV sales start to slip
Published on Jan 10, 2026 at 4:09 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jan 08, 2026 at 4:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Kia and Hyundai ended 2025 on a serious high in the US.
They shared their full-year sales numbers early, and the results were strong.
That stands out at a time when excitement around electric cars is arguably starting to cool.
Instead of scrambling, Kia and Hyundai look like they’re right where they expected to be.
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Why Kia and Hyundai are reporting such good numbers
For Kia America, 2025 was a record-smashing year.
The brand sold 852,155 cars in the US, which is more than it has ever sold before.
That’s seven percent growth in one year, and eight straight years of climbing higher.
Some of Kia’s biggest hits did most of the work.
Carnival sales jumped 44 percent, Sportage was up 13 percent, Telluride kept climbing, and even the brand-new K4 managed its best year yet.
SUVs grew, electrified models jumped 24 percent, and sedans rose 13 percent too.
Then there’s Hyundai Motor America, which sold even more cars.
Hyundai moved 901,686 vehicles last year, up eight percent from 2024.
That makes three record years in a row.
Models like the Elantra, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, Venue, and Ioniq 5 all hit new sales highs.
Hybrids and EVs also broke records, even while other brands started sweating about slowing demand.
Put together, Kia and Hyundai clocked more than a dozen US sales records in one year, while rivals were still checking their spreadsheets.
They’re not betting everything on EVs
Kia and Hyundai didn’t go all-in on electric cars.
Instead, they gave buyers options.
Gas cars. Hybrids. Plug-in hybrids. EVs. Pick your fighter.
As pure EV sales start to cool, that flexibility suddenly looks genius.
SUVs are still popular.
Sedans aren’t dead yet.
Electrified cars can grow without everyone needing to go fully electric overnight.
With fresh models like the updated Telluride and the K4 hatchback coming soon, this approach isn’t slowing down.
Right now, while the rest of the market argues about the future, Kia and Hyundai are busy selling cars.
And that’s kind of the whole point.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
