- Kia set a new July sales benchmark with 75,857 units in the US.
- Carnival sales surged 22.8% to reach 7,279 units last month.
- Sportage, Telluride, Seltos, and K4 also achieved best-ever July sales.
Kia keeps rewriting its own US sales record, and July gave it another line in the book. Last month stood as the brand’s best July ever, with several models posting record numbers for the month, the Carnival family hauler among them.
The Korean automaker moved 75,857 vehicles in July, a 7 percent gain over the same month last year. Through the first seven months of 2026, the running total reaches 506,584 units, up 4 percent, which puts Kia on course for a fourth straight annual sales record in the US.
Record-Setters Across The Lineup
According to Kia, the Sportage, Carnival, Telluride, Seltos, and K4 all logged best-ever July sales. The Sportage led the pack with 16,083 sales (+11.7%), trailed by the K4/Forte at 12,094 (+8%), the Telluride at 11,816 (+13%), the Sorento at 9,038 (+13.5%), and the Seltos at 8,807 (+79.1%).
More: Kia’s Next Sportage Is Getting A Rugged Redesign
The one that caught our eye, though, is the Carnival minivan. Its 7,279 deliveries marked a hefty 22.8% climb over last year and landed within striking distance of its all-time monthly best of 7,362 units, set in November 2025. A recent study found millennials are fueling a minivan comeback, sold on the practicality and value SUVs can’t match, and Kia’s numbers appear to reflect the trend.
Kia introduced the current Carnival in 2020, and it reached the US for the 2022 model year. A mid-cycle refresh arrived in late 2023 for the 2025 model year, bringing a sharper face and a hybrid powertrain option. Pricing now runs from $37,490 to $53,590, with buyers choosing between a 3.5-liter V6 and a turbocharged 1.6-liter hybrid.
EV Sales Down, Hybrids On The Rise
Strong as the month was overall, Kia’s electric lineup told a rougher story. EV6 deliveries nearly halved to 674 units (-48%) in July, dragging its year-to-date figure to 4,717 (-34%). The three-row EV9 dipped more gently to 1,650 units (-5%), though its year-to-date total still runs ahead of last year at 8,685 (+30%).
Hybrids went the other direction, and hard. Total hybrid sales jumped 108 percent year-over-year. The Sportage Hybrid posted the steepest growth among electrified models at 76%, while the Sorento Hybrid and Carnival Hybrid each managed a 16 percent gain over last July.
More: 2027 Kia Seltos Has A Higher Price To Match Its More Upscale Design
Kia plans to keep the momentum going with the new Seltos and the entry-level EV3 electric crossover, due later this year.
Kia US Sales 2026
