Kia’s Carnival, Sportage, And Telluride Set New Sales Records In July

Kia is on track for its best-ever annual sales

Kia’s positive sales momentum continued into the second half of 2025, with the manufacturer reporting a 12% increase in year-on-year sales in July. Together with Hyundai, the Korean brands had a stellar end to the second quarter, while Kia’s sedans are seeing sales growth that’s outpacing its SUVs. Last month, three Kia models achieved their highest-ever sales for July, and one of them was a minivan.

Brilliant July For Carnival, Sportage, And Telluride

While the success of the Sportage and Telluride are no surprise given the market’s appetite for SUVs, the Carnival’s best-ever July continues a trend of soaring minivan sales this year. SUVs may be better at off-roading, but they can’t match the interior space utilization of a classic minivan.

The Carnival’s sales hit 5,928 units last month, a 30% increase over July 2024. Sportage sales were up 14% to 14,392, while the Telluride jumped by 15% to 10,411 units. Considering that we’re not far from a new-generation Telluride, it’s particularly impressive that this three-row crossover managed to hit its best-ever July sales so late into its life cycle. 

The Sportage remains Kia’s best-selling individual model in the United States, surpassing 100,000 total sales for the year last month. Despite the 2026 model being pricier, it should easily remain Kia’s best-selling model.

Most Other Kias Had A Better July, But Not The EVs

Elsewhere in Kia’s lineup, July 2025 sales were generally better compared to a year ago. The K4/Forte managed 11,188 units (10,448 in July 2024), the K5 hit 5,879 units (up from 4,713), and the Sorento sold 7,965 units (up from 7,206).

The EV6 found 1,290 homes, down from 1,547 a year ago, while the EV9 sold 1,737 units, down from 1,815. Despite these declines, Kia still sold way more cars in July 2025 (71,123) than a year ago (63,580).

“Kia is steadily progressing toward its highest annual sales record and an all-time high market share, fueled by record-breaking consumer sales growth,” said Eric Watson, vice-president, sales operations, Kia America. “As our SUV lineup maintains double-digit growth month after month, we recently rolled out a new ad campaign for the 2026 Sportage, which offers the ideal combination of efficiency and capability. As Kia’s longest-running nameplate, our customers have a strong sense of connection to Sportage, and we are fostering similar connections between our customers and other models.”

Strong sales and a favorable trade deal between the United States and South Korea should see Kia end the year on a high note, with best-ever annual sales in this region.