Kia EV6, EV9 Sales Slide in Q1 2026 as EV3 Heads to US
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Kia EV6 posted 883 US sales in March 2026, down 38 units from 921 in March 2025, with Q1 2026 total sales of 2,023 — far below the 3,738 logged in Q1 2025
- Kia EV9 recorded 1,247 US sales in March 2026, up 83 from 1,164 a year earlier, yet Q1 2026 sales still fell to 2,740 from 3,756 in Q1 2025
- Kia announced at the New York Auto Show that it will sell the EV3 in the US — a move the article calls surprising given the model was thought 'not big enough' for American tastes
- Kia is bucking an industry trend of automakers pulling EV models from the market, with Tesla notably ending the Model S and Model X
- Kia's Q1 2026 ended more strongly than it started relative to 2025, leaving the article's author hopeful for a better Q2
Why it matters: Kia's Q1 2026 EV sales fell roughly 41-46% year-over-year for both the EV6 and EV9 even as March stabilized near 2025 levels, confirming a soft start to the year for Kia's US EV business. The unexpected decision to import the smaller EV3 — while rivals like Tesla exit EV nameplates — could let Kia capture a less crowded segment, but the steep Q1 declines show the brand still needs a growth catalyst to reverse the slide.
