From left: the Kia EV9, EV6, EV3, EV4 and EV5 [HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP]
Kia outsold Hyundai Motor in Korea last month for the first time since Hyundai Motor Group took over Kia in 1998, reversing the usual pecking order between the two automakers.
Kia sold 55,045 vehicles in the domestic market in April, edging past Hyundai’s 54,051.
Hyundai Motor, the longtime leader in the local market, saw its domestic sales fall 19.9 percent from a year earlier. The sudden decline is partially attributed to a fire at a partner company's plant in Daejeon that supplies engine valves to Hyundai and Genesis, while a pause in Palisade SUV sales has also weighed on overall sales. The Hyundai Palisade had its sales paused after the automatic second-row seats collapsed and killed a child in the United States earlier this year.
Kia’s domestic sales rose 7.9 percent on strong demand for electric vehicles and the Sorento.
Hyundai Motor sold 325,589 vehicles worldwide in April, down 8.0 percent from a year earlier, including 54,051 in Korea and 271,538 overseas. Kia sold 277,188 vehicles globally, up 1.0 percent, with 55,045 sold in Korea, 221,692 overseas and 451 special-purpose vehicles.
“Last month, sales fell as production of key models, including the Palisade and G80, declined," a Hyundai Motor official said. "There were also disruptions in parts supply from a supplier, along with demand waiting for new models.”
“Starting with the redesigned Grandeur, we will expand sales this year by launching a large number of new vehicles with strong product competitiveness.”
Kia, by contrast, was lifted by electrified models and steady SUV demand. The Sorento remained the top-selling model in Korea with 12,078 units sold in April. Kia also sold 3,898 units of the EV3 and 2,262 units of the PV5, helping push domestic sales higher.
Kia's headquarters in southern Seoul [YONHAP]
“Sales in Asia, Central and South America and the Middle East declined somewhat due to geopolitical risks in the Middle East region, but strong sales have continued in overseas markets excluding the Middle East and in the domestic market, sustaining growth,” a Kia official said. “We will continue to maintain sales momentum with low-emission vehicles such as EVs and hybrid SUVs.”
In the U.S. market, Hyundai Motor Group posted its highest-ever hybrid vehicle sales.
Still, combined U.S. sales by Hyundai, Genesis and Kia fell 2.1 percent from a year earlier to 159,216 units, comprising 86,513 Hyundai vehicles, 6,356 Genesis vehicles and 72,703 Kia vehicles. The decline was attributed to a base effect after sales surged in early last year on advance purchases ahead of the U.S. auto tariff.
Although total U.S. sales declined, Hyundai and Kia sold 48,425 environmentally friendly vehicles in the United States last month, up 47.6 percent from a year earlier. Environmentally friendly vehicles accounted for 30.4 percent of total sales. Hybrid vehicles in particular jumped 57.8 percent from a year earlier to 41,239 units.
“The production disruption at Hyundai caused by the fire at the supplier is expected to normalize from April through measures such as the use of alternative parts, and models tailored for the Chinese market are also scheduled to be launched in the second half,” said Nam Ju-shin, a researcher at DB Financial Investment.
Hyundai Motor's Ioniq V, a China-tailored EV, which was first unveiled at the Auto China 2026 in Beijing on April 24. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]
“Kia is continuing to expand HEV sales in the United States, increase the share of EVs in Europe and grow in India and Latin America, so it is expected to fully offset the first-quarter sales disruption in the Middle East through gains in other regions,” he added.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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