Kia’s Sedan Sales Are A Reason To Celebrate But Its EVs Are The Opposite

It seems like every automaker thought that sedans were dead. GM stopped building them (except for the big-buck Cadillac CT4 and CT5) a couple of years ago; it’s been half a decade for Ford, and even among the companies that do still make sedans, they’re looked on as models that are barely hanging on.

But a combination of sticking around, updating new product, and an economy that is driving people back to affordable new vehicles has paid off for Kia. Sales of its K4 and K5 sedans are crushing it. More than triple in the case of the K5.

Fresh-Faced Kia K5 Is Selling Like Hotcakes

In the first four months of this year, Kia’s K5 has shown very strong sales. In 2024, it was barely able to move the four-door, with just 333 units sold the entire month of April. April 2025 saw Kia dealers move 6,248 copies of the K5. In the first four months of 2025, Kia moved 21,994 copies, up from 7,086 in the same time period of 2024.

Kia refreshed the K5 last year, with new head and taillights as well as a pair of 12-inch screens inside. Based on sales, the upgrades appear to have been exactly what the market wanted.

One size down, Kia’s all-new K4 is also doing better than the Forte it replaced. The K4 is a huge change in design when compared with the more conventionally styled Forte, but buyers seem to be flocking. At 13,097 for the month of April, sales are up by around 700. For the year, the model is up 4,000 versus last year, with 50,100.

Related

Kia K4 Vs. K5: The Differences Between Kia’s Capable Sedans

Both of these Kia sedans feature great looks and features, but they are different in key areas.

Of course, Kia has been on a roll with nearly all of its models lately. The company posted 74,805 sales last month, up 14 percent from the year before. It is the company’s seventh consecutive month of record-breaking sales.

Big SUV Sales Up, EV Sales Tank

Telluride was up 21 percent, Sportage up 18 percent, and even the minivan was moving like hotcakes. The new Carnival saw sales up 79 percent and is now at 20,977 for the year, up around 8,000 from last year.

There are, however, two elephants in the room. Or in the showroom, in this particular case. Sales of the EV9 electric three-row SUV and the smaller EV6 electric have seemingly collapsed in April. The EV9 saw its 1,572 sales in April 2024 fall to just 232 in April 2025. The EV5 saw sales fall from 2,051 to 656. At least the fall seems largely to have impacted Kia only in April. Sales up to the end of March were relatively flat compared to 2024.

1:12

Related

Video: Kia K4 Touches Down In America With Bold Looks And More Space Than You Think

The Kia K4 is proof that hatchbacks still have a place, and this might be one of the best.

Kia’s other poor sellers seem to show a move from small SUVs to the slightly more affordable K4 sedan (or up to the Sportage). The Niro, offered as hybrid and EV, the Seltos, and the Soul all saw sales fall. The Soul’s drop was only slight, down from 5,708 units to 5,069, but the Niro’s percentage drop was lower at 3,031 units to 2,350. The Seltos subcompact crossover saw sales fall from 5,672 to 4,051.