Kia is crushing it in Europe with a full lineup of electric vehicles, ranging from entry-level models to the three-row flagship SUV. Thanks to its new EVs, Kia is now Europe’s fastest-growing top 10 passenger car brand this year.
Europe’s fastest-growing legacy auto brand is…Kia?
The Korean automaker’s bet on electric vehicles is paying off. After launching several new models, Kia now offers an EV for nearly everyone.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Kia has become “Europe’s fastest-growing top 10 passenger-car brand YTD” with 377,078 registrations between January and August 2026, an increase of 9% compared to the same period last year.
Compared to the overall EU+EFTA+UK passenger car market, which grew 5.8% during the first eight months of 2026, Kia easily outpaced the average.
Kia’s market share reached 4.1% through August, placing the brand ninth overall. The Korean automaker’s “outstanding performance,” according to Sjoerd Knipping, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Europe, is thanks to having “one of the broadest and most advanced electrified line-ups in Europe.”
After EV registrations surged 58% year-on-year through August, Kia now accounts for 4.8% of the European EV market, placing seventh overall.
Kia saw particularly strong demand in key markets, including France (+120%), Germany (+112%), the UK (+66%), Spain (+60%) and Italy (+41%).
The EV3 remained among Kia’s most popular EVs, while newer models like the EV2, EV4, and EV5 also contributed to growth. Kia’s EV lineup now spans the EV2, EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9, plus the PV5 van.
Kia launched the entry-level EV2 earlier this year, starting at just €26,600 ($30,500) in Germany and £22,245 ($32,500) in the UK.
The EV2 joins the EV4 as the second fully electric vehicle to be built at Kia’s manufacturing plant in Slovakia.
While Kia has no plans to bring the EV2 to the US, the EV3 is now on sale. Kia sold just over 500 EV3s in the US in its first full month of sales. After another record sales quarter, Kia is on pace to achieve its fourth consecutive record year of sales in the US.
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