Kia racks up another record month as new $30K EV3 hits dealers

Kia is eyeing its fourth consecutive annual US sales record after another record-breaking October. With the new 2027 EV3 arriving, Kia is “confident” the momentum will carry into Q4 and well into 2027.

Kia extends record-breaking US sales streak in October

“With six consecutive months of record-breaking sales, Kia is accelerating toward a fourth straight annual sales record,” Kia America vice president of sales Eric Watson said on Tuesday.

Kia sold 80,008 vehicles in the US last month, up 16% year over year and marking its best October sales month ever.

Kia said electrified and hybrid vehicles drove the growth, with sales up 112% and 114% YOY, both setting new sales records.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Several Kia models posted strong YOY sales growth, including the three-row electric EV9 (+111%), Telluride (+63%), EV6 (+58%), Seltos (+43%), Sorento (+31%), Carnival (+17%), K4 (+14%), and Sportage (+12%).

Regarding its fully electric vehicles. Sales of the EV9, Kia’s three-row electric SUV, are now up 5% year-to-date, with 13,835 units sold through October.

Although EV6 sales rebounded slightly last month, they are still down 39% YTD, with 7,067 units sold through October.

Kia’s new entry-level electric SUV, the EV3 (check out our review), is now in showrooms nationwide. After it went on sale in mid-August, Kia sold 1,496 EV3s in its first two months.

The 2027 EV3 is Kia’s most affordable fully electric vehicle, starting at $29,890. That’s for the base EV3 Light model, which uses a 58.3 kWh battery that provides up to 221 miles of range.

Higher-priced trims, including the Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT, use an 81.4 kWh battery for up to 321 miles of range.

Front-wheel-drive (FWD) models have a single 201-horsepower electric motor. Upgrading to all-wheel-drive (AWD) costs $3,200 and adds a rear electric motor for a combined 261 horsepower.

All variants have a native NACS port so that drivers can use Tesla Superchargers without a separate adapter. Charging the 58.3 kWh battery from 10% to 80% takes around 29 minutes, while the larger 81.4 kWh battery takes about 31 minutes.

Inside, all EV3 models feature Kia’s latest ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The setup provides nearly 30″ of combined digital screens, including a dual 12.3″ instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment, plus a 5″ climate control display.

Kia describes the EV3 as an “entry-level EV SUV that offers many of the advanced amenities of the EV9,” but in a smaller, more affordable package.

The 2027 Kia EV9 starts at $54,990. That’s also for the base EV9 Light short-range trim, which uses a 76.1 kWh battery with up to 230 miles of range.

Higher-priced trims, including the Light Long Range, Wind, Land, and GT-Line, use a larger 99.8 kWh battery that delivers up to 305 miles of range in RWD variants.

Kia’s three-row electric SUV offers up to 42.8″ of legroom in the second row, which is even more than the 2025 Cadillac Escalade. Buyers can choose from six- and seven-seat configurations.

“An expanding hybrid lineup, the arrival of the all-new, all-electric EV3, and the success of the all-new Telluride and Seltos are adding even more momentum to our growth,” Watson said. He added, “We’re confident this record-setting pace will carry us through the fourth quarter and well into 2027.”

With the 2027 models on the way, Kia is offering up to $10,000 off 2026 models to make room. Want to see what’s available near you? You can use the links below to find local offers and available Kia models in your area.