Kia achieved its best-ever monthly sales in the UK in March, the country chief of the South Korean automaker said on Wednesday.
Paul Philpott announced the milestone in a LinkedIn post, stating that the brand sold 20,862 vehicles last month — beating its previous record by nearly 900 units.
According to the company’s data, “highlights included an EV mix of 29%, a strong start for our new electric vans.”
Additionally, the performance made Kia “the no.3 best-selling car brand in the UK” for the month.
According to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Tuesday, March’s figures have jumped from the 19,993 units registered a year ago.
Kia had a 5.3% market share in the UK’s auto market last month, while first quarter total sales were 34,616 units.
UK EV Adoption
New vehicle registrations in the British market grew 6.6% in March — typically its busiest month — with 380,627 new vehicles registered.
It was also the strongest month on record for new energy vehicle (NEV) volumes, which reached 196,059 registrations.
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations rose 46.9% to a 13.0% market share, while hybrid vehicles (HEV) climbed 7.3% to 15.8%.
Battery electric vehicles (BEV) hit a new record, up 24.2% to 86,120 registrations.
However, BEVs accounted for just 22.6% of the market in March and 22.4% year to date — well below the 33% target set for 2026 under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate.
The SMMT noted that conditions have shifted sharply since the mandate was set.
Battery costs at the start of 2026 were more than 30% higher than expected, industrial energy prices were around 80% above 2021 levels, and public charging costs have risen by more than 140% over the past five years.
SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said an “urgent review of the transition is required to secure a sustainable market, economic growth and the UK’s net zero ambitions,” citing the impact of the Iran crisis on energy costs and consumer confidence.
The government is adjusting its approach to EVs both at the point of purchase and on the road.
Starting in April 2028, electric vehicles will be subject to a pay-per-mile road charge similar to the duty currently applied to internal combustion engine vehicles.
The government says the measure will create a fairer system for all drivers.
The change follows the introduction of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for EVs in April 2025, which starts at £10 ($13.5) in the first year and rises to £195 ($262) from the second year onward.
The UK has set a target for all new vehicles sold from 2030 to be electric or plug-in hybrid, planning to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars entirely then.
EV Market
Tesla led the UK’s electric vehicle segment in the first quarter — with nearly 12,000 vehicles registered — after Ford dominated the category in January and February.
The SMMT does not break down sales by individual model, publishing only the ten best-selling models in the overall market.
It also reports sales by powertrain at the market level, but does not disclose each brand’s powertrain mix.
According to registration data shared by tracking platform EU-EVs, Ford closed the quarter with 10,553 fully electric vehicles sold in the UK (about a third of its total sales).
Chinese giant BYD followed with 9,625 units — in a total of 21,337 plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles.
Kia ranked fourth among its competitors in the EV segment, with 9,465 EVs registered in the first three months of 2026.
Of those, 6,029 vehicles were registered in March alone, according to EU-EVs.
Lineup
Kia is preparing to launch its smallest EV yet — the EV2 — later this year, with European assembly of the model having started in Slovakia late last month.
Pricing for the UK market will begin at £23,245, as revealed last week.
The electric portfolio features models such as the EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6 (including the high-performance EV6 GT), and the larger seven-seater EV9.
Kia’s UK lineup also includes hybrid and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
At the smaller end, the Kia Picanto serves as the brand’s most affordable option, and is available in both hybrid and ICE versions.
In the SUV category, the Kia Sportage stands out as one of the brand’s most popular models in the UK — ranking as the third best-selling model in the country during the first quarter, according to SMMT data.
The brand, part of the Hyundai Group, is also expanding into new segments with models like the Kia PV5 Passenger and Kia PV5 Cargo.
