Kia Corporation (Kia) today shared its mid-to-long-term business strategies and financial targets at its 2026 CEO Investor Day held in Seoul, Korea.
This year’s event focused on reviewing the five-year progress of Kia’s ‘Total Transformation’ initiative, following the company’s brand relaunch in 2021. Kia also outlined its mid- to long-term growth roadmap across all business sectors.
“Building on the achievements of innovation across all areas over the past five years —including brand, EVs, PBVs, and ESG — EVs, HEVs, autonomous driving, and robotics will serve as key drivers for Kia’s fastest growth to date. Even amid the evolving global environment, Kia will proactively respond to changing market conditions through differentiated strategies.” – Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation.
2030 Mid- to Long-Term Business Strategy
Kia aims to pursue a strategy to accelerate exponential growth, targeting global sales of 4.13 million units by 2030 with a 4.5 percent market share. This compares with a sales goal of 3.35 million units with a 3.8 percent market share in 2026.
Kia places customers at the centre of its business strategy and, over the mid- to long-term, the company intends to expand its mobility ecosystem with a strategic focus on PBVs, autonomous driving, and robotics, connecting people and infrastructure to drive enhanced value creation for both customers and wider society.
Overview of Key Announcements at Kia 2026 CEO Investor Day
| Category | Content | |||
| 2030 Mid- to Long-Term Business Strategy | Global Sales Targets | · 2026 annual sales target: 3.35 million units; 3.8% market share
· 2030 annual sales target: 4.13 million units; 4.5% market share |
||
| ICE & HEV | · Launch 9 ICE models by 2030
· Expand HEV lineup to 13 models by 2030 · HEV sales target: 2026, 690,000 units ? 2030, 1.1 million units (2030, 115 million xHEV units, including HEV/EREV/PHEVs) · Launch Body on Frame pickup truck with HEV, EREV variants by 2030 |
|||
| EV | Sales Target | · 2030 annual sales target: 1 million units; 3.8% market share | ||
| Enhancing EV Product
Competitiveness |
· Establish lineup of 14 models
· 2 passenger vehicles · 9 SUVs· 3 PBV models · Introduce next?generation EV platform · Expansion of mass?market EV lineup starting with EV2 in 2026 |
|||
| Improving EV Accessibility | · Expand charging infrastructure with global charging partners
· Strengthen charging networks in Korea (including Hyundai Motor Group’s E-pit network), the U.S., and Europe |
|||
| Strengthening EV Supply Chain | · Operate EV production hubs (EVO Plants in Korea)
· Optimize regional production – Europe (EV2, EV4) and the U.S. (EV6, EV9) |
|||
| PBV | · 2030 annual sales target: 232,000 units (PV5, PV7, PV9)
· Sequential launches of PV5 (2025), PV7 (2027), PV9 (2029) · Utilize Hwaseong EVO Plant as dedicated PBV production hub Regional Ex-growth |
U.S. | · 2030 annual sales target: 1.02 million units; 6.2% market share
· HEV lineup expansion (4 ? 8 models) & strengthen SUV volume models |
|
| Europe | · 2030 annual sales target: 746,000 units; 4.8% market share
· Introduce Kia’s first SDV B-segment hatchback (B-HB) EV · Increase EV sales mix (2025 23% ? 2030 66%) Emerging Markets · 2030 annual sales target: 148 million units; 6.6% market share · India targets 2030 annual sales of 410,000 units (market share 7.6%) |
|||
| Future
Strategy |
Autonomous Driving | · Establish data-driven cycle of continuous improvement through NVIDIA partnership and strengthening in-house technology
· Strategy ? Preemptive sensor and system?level standardization through global partnerships to enable data scalability · Strategy ? Advancement of in?house end?to?end (E2E) autonomous driving model capabilities based on ‘Data Flywheel’ · Complete development of Kia’s first SDV model by the end of 2027, followed by introduction of Level 2++ autonomous driving technology in early 2029 |
||
| Robotics | · Develop last?mile delivery solutions integrating robots with Kia PBVs (PV7, PV9)
· Deploys Atlas at HMGMA starting in 2028 and Kia AutoLand Georgia in 2029 |
|||
| 2026 Business Plan &
Mid- to Long-Term Financial Targets |
· 2030 (KRW): Revenue 170 trn, OP 17 trn, OP Margin 10%
· 5 Year Investment (2026~2030): KRW 49 trn · 2028 TSR target of over 35%, with continued enhancement of shareholder returns |
|||
[1] ICE and HEV Strategy
Kia plans to continue expanding its internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) lineups, reflecting the differing pace of electrification across global markets. By 2030, the company aims to establish a diversified powertrain portfolio through the launch of nine new ICE models and expand its HEV lineup to 13 models. The company is also targeting 1.98 million annual sales of ICE models and annual sales of 1.15 million xHEV models, including HEVs, PHEVs and EREVs, by 2030.
For ICE vehicles, Kia will strengthen its lineup by introducing key models, including the Telluride and Seltos SUVs launched this year. In parallel, Kia will actively respond to market demand for HEVs, starting this year with the launch of the Telluride HEV and Seltos HEV, followed by the sequential introduction of additional hybrid models, such as the K4 HEV.
Kia will also further strengthen its pickup truck lineup by 2030, following its entry into global emerging markets with the launch of the Tasman pickup last year. Looking ahead, the company plans to further expand its pickup lineup by adding a Body-on-Frame pickup truck with HEV and EREV variants by 2030, targeting core markets in North America.
Building on its strong global reputation for award-winning hybrid vehicles, Kia has also significantly enhanced the competitiveness of its HEV offerings. The company has achieved fuel efficiency and output improvements of approximately more than 4 percent through the introduction of its next-generation hybrid system earlier this year. In addition, premium EV-level features – such as the Stay Mode and interior vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality – have been applied to hybrid models, further enhancing the company’s HEV competitiveness.
Looking ahead, Kia aims to increase its HEV sales from 690,000 units in 2026 to 1.1 million units per year by 2030, while securing an additional 400,000 units of hybrid production capacity over the mid- to long-term. To support growing demand for ICE and HEV models in emerging markets, Kia will leverage its production facilities in Korea, China, India, and Mexico as key supply hubs, further enhancing its flexible global manufacturing operations.
[2] EV Strategy
Kia aims to achieve annual EV sales of 1 million units and a 3.8 percent share of the global EV market by 2030, strengthening its leadership in the global adoption of EVs.
To achieve this goal, Kia is focusing on three strategic pillars:
- Enhancing EV product competitiveness
- Improving EV accessibility
- Strengthening its EV supply chain
? Enhancing EV Product Competitiveness
Kia plans to expand its EV lineup from 11 models in 2026 to a total of 14 models by 2030, comprising two passenger vehicles, nine SUVs, and three PBV models.
Starting this year with the launch of the Kia EV2 and Syros EV, the company will continue to introduce high?volume EV models, alongside new offerings such as a C?segment SUV EV and expanded PBV lineup, to broaden customer choice across key market segments.
The company is also developing its next?generation EV platform to significantly enhance both product performance and cost competitiveness.
Key improvements include:
- Up to a 40 percent increase in battery capacity
- A 9 percent improvement in motor output
- Introduction of fifth?generation batteries, delivering up to 15 percent higher energy density
In addition, Kia plans to integrate advanced technologies across its EV lineup, including a new infotainment system and Level 2++ autonomous driving capabilities, further elevating overall product competitiveness.
? Improving EV Accessibility
Kia is also prioritizing the expansion of charging infrastructure. Through strategic partnerships with major charging alliances in key markets — including Electrify America, IONNA, and IONITY — the company will continue to expand its ultra?fast charging networks.
In Korea, Kia will actively expand Hyundai Motor Group’s (the Group) ultra?fast charging brand, E?pit. Across major regions, Kia has secured large-scale charging infrastructure, reaching approximately 240,000 chargers in North America, 1 million chargers in Europe, and 480,000 in Korea, inclusive of both fast and slow chargers.
Kia will also enhance customer convenience through digital solutions such as the Kia One App and Plug & Charge 2.0, further improving the EV ownership experience.
? Strengthening the EV Supply Chain
Korea will serve as Kia’s global hub for EV development and production, manufacturing EVs across all vehicle segments for distribution to global markets. In particular, Kia will maximize production efficiency at its Gwangmyeong and Hwaseong EVO Plants, strengthening cost competitiveness for high?volume EV models.
In parallel, Kia will implement a localized production strategy aligned with regional demand and policy environments. This includes producing EV2 and EV4 in Europe, EV6 and EV9 in the U.S., and locally optimized EV models (Syros and Carens EV) for emerging markets in India, further enhancing supply chain resilience and market responsiveness.
[3] PBV Strategy
Kia has been expanding its business into Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) as a new mobility domain to deliver customer-focused solutions that address key challenges in the conventional light commercial vehicle (LCV) market, including high conversion costs, environmental impact, and increasingly diverse user needs. The company has systematically established its PBV business framework and ecosystem.
Kia’s first PBV model, the PV5, was launched last year and recorded approximately 8,500 sales by year?end. This year, Kia aims to accelerate the global rollout of the PV5, targeting annual global sales of 54,000 units.
Building on the PV5, Kia plans to launch the PV7 in 2027 and the PV9 in 2029, completing a full PBV lineup. Through more than 40 different body types, the company will deliver highly customizable mobility solutions tailored to diverse customer and business requirements.
Looking ahead, Kia is targeting annual PBV sales of 232,000 units by 2030, with Europe and Korea identified as core PBV markets.
Kia’s PBV sales strategy is structured around four strategic pillars:
- Product
- Manufacturing ecosystem
- Solution
- Channel
The PV5 will be offered in three base models — Passenger (five?, six?, and seven?seat configurations, and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle), Cargo (Standard, Long, and High Roof), and Chassis Cab variants.
Kia will also offer seven PV5 conversion models, including Prime, Light Camper, Camper, Crew, Drop Side, Box Van, and Freezer Box. This broad lineup enables customer-specific solutions across a diverse range of use cases. Both base and conversion models will be rolled out sequentially across global markets, including Europe, Korea, Asia?Pacific, and the Middle East, starting this year.
In terms of manufacturing, Kia will operate the Hwaseong EVO Plant as a dedicated PBV production facility. By integrating nearby conversion centers and collaborating with trusted global conversion partners, the company will flexibly respond to a broad range of LCV production requirements.
Kia will also provide Total B2B solutions, including B2B?optimized applications based on a 12.9?inch large?screen in?vehicle infotainment (IVI) system, a fleet management system (FMS) enabling real?time vehicle monitoring, and a one?billing platform that integrates financing, maintenance, insurance, and charging services.
From a channel perspective, Kia plans to operate dedicated PBV dealerships, digital touchpoints, and specialized personnel — including PBV Experts and PBV Masters — to support customers throughout the entire ownership journey. The company will also offer 24/7 customer support and maintenance services, reinforcing a customer?centric approach from purchase through daily operation.
[4] Regional Exponential Growth Strategy
To achieve its global sales target of 4
13 million units by 2030, Kia has established differentiated growth strategies tailored to the U.S., Europe, and emerging markets.
? U.S.
For the U.S. market, Kia aims to achieve annual sales of 1.02 million units and a 6.2 percent market share by 2030. The company’s strategy is centered on:
- Expanding its HEV lineup from four to eight models
- Strengthening volume growth through a full SUV lineup
- Entering the pickup truck segment
Kia plans to establish the Sportage SUV as the company’s first single model to surpass 200,000 units in annual sales, while further elevating brand presence through the all-new Telluride SUV’s expanded annual production capacity of 180,000 units, and the introduction of new HEV and EREV variants.
The Seltos SUV will target entry?level SUV demand with the launch of a hybrid variant in 2026, with the goal of achieving total Seltos SUV model sales of 100,000 units per year.
? Europe
In Europe, Kia aims to achieve annual sales of 746,000 units and a 4.8 percent market share by 2030, driven by:
- An expanded full EV lineup
- Growth of its PBV business
- Further reinforcement of HEV offerings
The company plans for EVs to account for 66 percent of its total European sales, exceeding the projected market average by 23 percentage points, further strengthening its EV leadership.
By segment, Kia will address passenger EV demand with the EV4 and the company’s first SDV B?segment hatchback (B-HB) EV, drive mass adoption in the small SUV EV segment through the EV2 and EV3, target the highest-volume SUV segment with the EV5 and a new C?segment SUV EV, and expand the eLCV (electric Light Commercial Vehicle) market with the PV5, PV7, and PV9.
In the short term, Kia will mitigate the transition phase toward electrification by expanding its HEV lineup and enhancing supply flexibility through three key production hubs in Mexico, Korea, and Slovakia. The company will also increase the share of fleet channel sales to align with industry averages.
? Emerging Markets
In emerging markets, including India, Mexico, Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East, South America and CIS regions, Kia aims to increase annual sales to 1.48 million units, up from 1 million units in 2025, achieving a 6.6 percent market share by 2030.
In India, one of Kia’s core emerging markets, the company is targeting annual sales of 410,000 units and a 7.6 percent market share by 2030. The strategy includes expanding its lineup to 10 models, offering eight electrified vehicles (xEVs) — including the Syros EV, Sorento HEV, and Carnival HEV — and expanding the dealer network to 800 locations.
In the high?volume B?SUV segment, which represents the largest volume category in emerging markets, Kia will focus on expanding sales of the Seltos and Sonet SUVs, targeting annual sales of more than 200,000 units by 2030 for each model respectively. Supply flexibility will be further strengthened through local production and expanded CKD operations, including in Mexico, India, and China.
Future Business Strategy
[1] Autonomous Driving
As AI technology continues to advance, the autonomous driving landscape is also rapidly evolving — from the superiority of individual technologies to the scale and structure of data accumulation and utilization.
In response, Hyundai Motor Group has adopted sensor standardization as a core strategic priority. Building on its partnership with NVIDIA, the Group is establishing a Data Union framework and leveraging its global annual sales volume of several million vehicles to accumulate large?scale real?world driving data. Through this approach, Hyundai Motor Group aims to establish a ‘Data Flywheel’, enabling a continuous cycle of data accumulation, learning, performance improvement, and deployment to products.
Hyundai Motor Group is pursuing its autonomous driving technology development through two strategic approaches, with the goals of accelerating market launch timelines while simultaneously securing long-term in-house technological leadership:
- Utilizing global partnerships
- Strengthening in?house technological capabilities
The first strategy focuses on preemptive standardization of sensors and systems through collaboration with validated global partners, enabling faster deployment of autonomous driving technologies in mass?production vehicles. Through this approach the Group aims to deliver immediate value to its customers.
The second strategy centers on leveraging data accumulated from mass-produced vehicles to continuously advance the Group’s proprietary end?to?end (E2E) autonomous driving models. Ultimately, this approach aims to internalize the stability and reliability of autonomous driving technologies optimized for mass production, strengthening technological leadership through in-house capabilities.
These two strategies are pursued together, forming a continuous cycle of improvement in which external collaboration enables faster go-to-market, while real-world data and operational experience gained from mass-produced vehicles are used to further strengthen internal technologies.
Through this approach, the Group aims to achieve rapid market entry in the short term and secure sustainable leadership in autonomous driving technologies over the mid- to long-term.
In line with this strategy, Kia plans to complete development of its first SDV model by the end of 2027, which will be equipped with Level 2+ autonomous driving technology for highways. This will be followed by the application of Level 2++ autonomous driving technology — capable of operating not only on highways but also in urban driving environments — in early 2029.
Kia’s first SDV model will integrate Hyundai Motor Group’s SDV technologies, including:
- CODA (Computing & I/O Domain?based Architecture), Hyundai Motor Group’s own SDV architecture
- Pleos Connect, next?generation infotainment platform
- Gleo AI, in?vehicle Agentic AI
Hyundai Motor Group emphasized that its autonomous driving technologies are not developed merely as demonstration tools, but as practical solutions designed to meet global regulatory and safety standards while delivering safe, intelligent, and real?world value in everyday customer use.
[2] Robotics
Hyundai Motor Group is also moving decisively to establish its market leadership in the robotics sector.
Boston Dynamics has set its vision for general purpose robots to become widespread over the next decade, centered on the development of technologies that enable robots to ‘Go Anywhere’, ‘Understand Surroundings’, and ‘Manipulate Anything’.
To realize this vision, Kia and Boston Dynamics are pursuing three key differentiated strategies:
- Securing demand and collecting data through the integration of robots across Hyundai Motor Group’s global manufacturing facilities
- Strengthening capabilities in Physical AI and Vision?Language?Action (VLA) models through more than USD 500 million in investments in AI infrastructure and talent, as well as strategic partnerships with leading technology companies, such as Google DeepMind and NVIDIA
- Achieving economies of scale by leveraging collaboration with Hyundai Mobis —including next?generation Atlas actuators — and Hyundai Motor Group’s global supply chain
To create further synergies with Hyundai Motor Group, Boston Dynamics plans to drive commercialization across two core areas.
First, in the area of logistics innovation, Hyundai Motor Group aims to pioneer a new last-mile delivery market, by introducing a full-stack solution that combines Stretch® and Spot® robots with Kia PBVs, including the PV7 and PV9.
For Atlas deployment, the robot will be deployed in a phased approach, expanding from currently proven technologies to higher-value use cases through AI learning and capability enhancement.
Boston Dynamics plans to begin full-scale deployment of Atlas at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in 2028, with a phased expansion to Kia AutoLand Georgia (KaGA) in the second half of 2029, as well as other Group global production facilities.
In parallel, Kia will also advance the rollout of its Software-Defined Factory (SDF) initiative across its U.S. manufacturing operations to support the accelerated deployment of Atlas
Through the initial, selective application of Atlas to 16 core manufacturing processes, the Group aims to enhance safety, quality, and productivity across its manufacturing operations.
2026 Business Plan & Mid- to Long-Term Financial Targets
At its 2026 CEO Investor Day event, Kia also outlined its detailed business plan for 2026 along with its mid? to long?term financial targets.
For 2026, Kia plans to achieve total wholesale sales of 3.35 million units, a 7 percent year?on?year growth, and aims to expand its global market share to 3.8 percent, an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared with the previous year.
In the U.S., Kia plans to sustain sales momentum through the launch of new vehicles, including hybrid variants of key models such as the all-new Telluride and Seltos SUVs. In Europe, the company will strengthen its market position by leveraging a full lineup of mass?market EVs ranging from the EV2 to the EV5.
Kia is targeting sales of 1
12 million xEVs in 2026, representing more than 45 percent year?on?year growth. This includes 691,000 HEVs, accounting for 21 percent of total sales, and 400,000 EVs, representing 12 percent of total sales.
For 2026, Kia presented the following financial targets:
- Revenue of KRW 122.3 trillion, up 7.2 percent year on year
- Operating profit of KRW 10.2 trillion, up 12.4 percent year on year
- Operating profit margin of 8.3 percent, up 0.3 percentage points year on year
Operating profit in 2026 is projected to increase by KRW 1.1 trillion year on year, reaching KRW 10.2 trillion. An improvement of KRW 3.5 trillion supported by increased sales volumes, improved product mix, higher average selling prices (ASP), and ongoing cost reductions are expected to outweigh impacts driven by factors such as higher incentives, exchange rates, and tariffs, which are predicted to exceed 2025 levels by KRW 2.4 trillion.
Kia will continue to expand investments aimed at strengthening its future competitiveness. Total investment for 2026 is planned at KRW 10.1 trillion, an increase of KRW 1.2 trillion compared with the previous year. The company has also expanded its new five?year investment plan (2026–2030) to KRW 49 trillion, an increase of KRW 7 trillion over the previous plan (2025–2029).
Of this amount, KRW 21 trillion will be allocated to future growth businesses — including electrification, autonomous driving, and robotics — representing an 11 percent increase versus the previous plan.
Regarding its mid? to long?term financial targets, Kia aims to achieve revenue of KRW 150 trillion and an operating profit margin of 9 percent by 2028. By 2030, the company aims to achieve revenue of KRW 170 trillion, an operating profit margin of 10 percent, and operating profit of KRW 17 trillion.
Key drivers for achieving these targets include:
- Exponential Growth through maximizing new model launches and expanding sales of xEVs
- Cost innovation in HEVs and EVs, supported by next?generation system and simplified battery structures
- Manufacturing innovation, driven by supply chain localization and the transition to smart factories
Kia also announced initiatives to further strengthen shareholder returns. For the period from 2026 to 2028, the company has set a target total shareholder return (TSR) of more than 35 percent, with shareholder returns to be delivered through a combination of dividends and share buybacks and cancellations.
Finally, Kia reaffirmed its commitment to achieving its mid? to long?term goals by:
- Driving growth in advanced markets through leadership in HEV and EVs
- Enhancing profitability in emerging markets through strengthened product competitiveness and continuous cost innovation
- Advancing its transformation into SDVs, underpinned by leadership in autonomous driving technologies and driving robotics?based manufacturing innovation