The Kia EV6 GT is one of our favorite EV hatchbacks, offering lightning acceleration and playful handling that helped it win the under-$100,000 category in Road & Track’s 2024 Performance EV of the Year competition. But it won’t be available in the United States going forward, according to a statement by the Korean automaker.
“Offering tremendous value and exhilarating performance to customers across Kia’s full range of vehicles is paramount, but due to changing market conditions, the 2026 EV6 GT will be delayed until further notice. This delay does not impact the availability of other trims in the EV6 lineup, which are proudly assembled in our world-class facility in West Point, Georgia,” a statement provided by Kia to Road & Track reads.
Marc Urbano
Kia is the latest automaker to join the ranks of those with delayed or paused electric vehicles. Not all automakers are delaying EVs for the same reasons; brands like Polestar paused U.S. sales over tariff challenges, while Audi hinted at software woes as a deciding factor in holding back the A6 E-Tron. In the case of Kia, its statement suggests that importing the EV6 GT from Korea at a reasonable price point may not be feasible, likely as a result of President Donald Trump’s automotive tariff war. Currently, the South Korean vehicle import tariff rate is set at 25 percent.
Hyundai and Kia have both invested significant infrastructure in U.S. production, focusing on the state of Georgia as a hub for vehicle and battery production. Because Kia’s other EV6 models are produced here, the Korean automaker skirts the majority of tariff pains on those machines. However, given its previous pricepoint of $65,295, importing the EV6 GT would likely represent pushing the car’s MSRP too high for the current market to accept.
The carmaker is also delaying its impending compact electric sedan, known as the Kia EV4, and a hatchback sibling, named the Kia EV3, from the U.S. until further notice. Electric sales have been abysmal for the automaker this year, falling in line with broader industry trends following the elimination of federal EV subsidies.
Mike Austin
Sibling company Hyundai is feeling the pressure, too. The automaker is axing nearly every trim of the Ioniq 6 for 2026, following a 77 percent sales decline year-over-year. Only the all-new Ioniq 6 N will be sold stateside in 2026, a Hyundai spokesperson said in a statement.
“Going forward, our award-winning Ioniq 6 lineup will consist of the all-new Ioniq 6 N. This high-performance electric sport sedan delivers truly thrilling, track-ready dynamics coupled with everyday usability. Ioniq 6 N arrives later this year. In the meantime, 2025 Ioniq 6 sedans continue to be available at dealers alongside our award-winning and U.S.-assembled Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 SUVs,” the statement reads.
It remains unclear if the EV6 GT or the regular Ioniq 6 will return to showrooms here for the 2027 model year. Most automakers that are delaying EVs as a result of tariffs have done so indefinitely, likely to wait out evolving rates. Outside of the luxury segment, the financials of bringing over these models are murky at best—and an already challenging EV market means Kia and Hyundai are taking careful steps to maximize profits.
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A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
