Kia Records Global Sales Record Q1 2026, SUV and EV as Mainstays

Kia EV9. (Photo: Kia)

JAKARTA - Kia Corporation recorded positive achievements until March 2026 with global sales of 779,169 units, the highest first quarter performance in the company's history, with growth of 0.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

This achievement comes amid an increasingly complex market dynamics, where growth is no longer determined solely by volume expansion, but also by the ability of brands to maintain product relevance in various segments and regions.

Head of Marketing Kia Sales Indonesia, Rendy Pratama, said the developments that the company sees globally reflect the changing expectations of increasingly dynamic consumers, including in Indonesia.

"Kia is consistently building a direction that not only focuses on products, but also on how technology, design, and exclusive experiences can be relevant in daily life," he said, in an official statement received, Tuesday, April 21.

In this context, Kia's performance shows that the market is still responding positively to its product portfolio, even as consumer preferences begin to shift towards more integrated technology and higher efficiency.

Globally, Kia's performance in the first quarter of 2026 showed stable growth, with the main contribution coming from markets outside Korea which recorded sales of 228,978 units in March, as well as an increase in the Korean market to 56,404 units, up 12.8 percent compared to the same period last year. In Europe, Kia also recorded a new monthly sales record with a total of 58,750 vehicles sold.

In the Korean market, Sorento also led passenger vehicle sales with 10,870 units, followed by Sportage with 5,540 units and Carnival with 5,407 units.

The SUV line is still the backbone of Kia's global sales. In March, Sportage recorded 48,885 units, followed by Seltos with 31,761 units and Sorento with 21,285 units. This performance shows that the SUV segment remains the main choice in various markets.

On the other hand, the movement of Electric Vehicles (EV) has begun to show a more measurable contribution, especially in the Korean market with a total of 16,187 units sold in March, led by EV3, EV5, and PV5. This figure indicates that the adoption of electrification is no longer at an early stage, but is beginning to enter a more commercially relevant phase, along with product readiness and market acceptance.

The results achieved go hand in hand with the strengthening of Kia's global Electric Vehicle (EV) portfolio, which was developed to reach a wider spectrum of consumer needs. This line includes various vehicle segments, including models such as the EV6 and EV9, and the PV5 that reflect Kia's approach to presenting electric vehicles with different characters and functions according to user needs. Electrification in this case is no longer placed as a separate line, but becomes part of the overall product development.

"In the future, we want to ensure that consumers in Indonesia can access the same standards and innovations as we present in the global market," he explained.