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Kia UK has recorded its best-ever month and quarter since the brand started sales in the country 35 years ago. Kia registered 20,136 cars in March, providing the brand with a strong 5.3% car market share and finishing the month in third place, according to latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).
This exceptional result led to a new sales quarter, and Q1, record for Kia with 35,851 cars and vans registered so far this year and third place overall in the combined market. This result is made all the more impressive with Kia’s LCV offering, the PV5, coming from a standing start in January, with 1,235 units registered year-to-date. Car registrations accounted for 34,616 units, ending the record quarter with Kia the second best-selling car brand with a 5.6% car market share (5.1% across cars and vans).
The Kia Sportage remains the brand’s best-selling model overall, ranking as the third best-selling model in the UK with 14,190 units registered YTD, and 7,310 in March.
The Kia EV3 continues to be one of the most popular fully electric vehicles available in the UK, and is the fourth most-popular EV in retail sales YTD. It is the eighth most registered EV across both retail and fleet sales with 3,628 units registered. This model led Kia’s EV registrations, which in March were the brand’s best: 29% of car registrations were fully electric, placing the brand third in the month, and fourth year-to-date.
The Picanto continues to be one of Kia’s most popular models, finishing the month and year-to-date registrations as the second best-selling City Car, with 3,818 units registered to end-March.
Q1 2026 was the first full quarter of sales to include Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBV). The PV5, Kia’s first dedicated fully electric commercial vehicle, has already established itself as a major player in the LCV market. From a standing start in January, the PV5 has immediately placed itself at the top of its segment, with 1,235 registrations year-to-date, catapulting Kia into third place overall in the zero-emission LCV market.
Across the total LCV market across all powertrains, Kia finished the quarter in a highly impressive 11th place, and despite currently only offering the all-electric PV5 in two variants, Cargo and Passenger. Additional variants of the PV5 will launch through 2026, providing a more comprehensive line-up.
Kia began 2026 with exceptional commercial and electrification momentum, finishing January and February as the UK’s second bestselling car brand. The new Sportage continued its dominance as the UK’s No.1 bestselling model in January (second in February), while the Picanto was the most registered City Car in January.
Supported by a now six-strong EV model line-up (soon to be seven when EV2 is launched), Kia strengthened its leadership in electrification ending the month as the top brand for EV sales in the retail market, and second overall.
January also saw the PV5 debut as the third best‑selling electric LCV, securing a large 13.2% share of the eLCV market in its landmark first month on sale.
With the EV2 unveiled and new models such as Seltos and expanded PV5 variants planned for the UK, Kia is poised to build on this success and target another record-breaking year in 2026.
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK, commented: “It has been 35 years since Kia first arrived in the UK with the Pride, and now achieving our best‑ever month and quarter shows just how far the brand has come.
“As these latest results demonstrate, customers continue to choose Kia in record numbers, which is due to our commitment to delivering a multi award-winning and broad product line-up, and our dedicated dealer partners who deliver a first-class service.
“2026 has started with record‑breaking momentum, and with the EV2 and other new models coming, we’re ready to push further as we grow our position as a leading electrified brand in the UK.”
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