Kia Telluride tops 100,000 sales in U.S. for fourth straight year; hybrids drive growth

[Financial News] Kia’s North America-focused sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Telluride, has topped 100,000 annual sales in the U.S. for four consecutive years. More than 110,000 units were sold in just nine months this year, a 19% increase from the same period last year. The hybrid model, introduced for the first time this year, accounted for more than 40% of total sales, leading to assessments that Kia’s locally tailored strategy is paying off.
According to sales data from Kia America, Inc. released on the 26th, U.S. sales of the Telluride from January through September this year totaled 110,038 units. That was a 19.0% increase from 92,498 units in the same period last year. In just three quarters, sales reached about 89% of last year’s full-year total of 123,281 units.
Telluride sales have topped 100,000 annually for three consecutive years, starting with 110,765 units in 2023, followed by 115,504 in 2024 and 123,281 in 2025. The model surpassed 100,000 sales by September this year as well, setting a record for four consecutive years. When it first launched in the U.S. market in 2019, sales stood at just 58,604 units, but had more than doubled by last year. Cumulative sales since launch totaled 786,917 units through September this year.
The hybrid powertrain, applied for the first time to the second-generation Telluride launched this year, helped boost sales. Through last month, hybrid sales totaled 45,155 units, accounting for about 41% of all Telluride sales. The strategy of diversifying a lineup that had been centered on gasoline models appears to have paid off as demand for hybrids grows in the U.S. market.
The Telluride is a large SUV developed exclusively for the North American market, with Kia taking into account local consumers’ preferences and driving conditions. Unlike the Sportage and Sorento, which are sold globally, it is a strategic model focused on the North American market. In 2020, the Telluride became the first model under the Kia brand to be named North American Car of the Year. That same year, it was also named World Car of the Year and MotorTrend magazine’s SUV of the Year.
Kia continues to improve the Telluride’s features. The second-generation model offers Kia myQ Connected Garage, which uses the vehicle’s display to remotely control a garage door or have it open and close automatically as the vehicle approaches. The feature reflects the lifestyle of North American consumers, for whom private homes and garages are common.
Kia plans to step up its efforts in the U.S. market by leveraging key SUVs, including the Telluride, and its hybrid lineup. At the 2026 Kia CEO Investor Day held in April, the company set a target of expanding its U.S. hybrid lineup from four models to eight by 2030, and achieving U.S. sales of 1.02 million vehicles and a market share of 6.2% that year.
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter