- Kia delays U.S. debut of EV4 sedan and pickup amid tariff issues.
- It seeks stable import costs before new American EV commitments.
- Company warns gas models may face higher prices if tariffs persist.
Kia had a plan just six months ago, one that mapped out several new electric models for the North American market. Now, that plan seems to have hit a wall, stalling before it ever gained momentum.
var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};
adpushup.que.push(function() {
if (adpushup.config.platform !== “DESKTOP”){
adpushup.triggerAd(“0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8”);
} else {
adpushup.triggerAd(“82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f”);
}
});
At the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, Kia America’s vice president of marketing, Russell Wager, shared a candid update. The fate of both the EV4 sedan and Kia’s upcoming pickup truck now hinges on something entirely beyond the company’s reach: tariff stability.
Read: Hyundai And Kia EV Sales Collapse After Tax Credits Vanish Overnight
Speaking to Car and Driver, Wager called out tariffs as the reason that Americans haven’t had access to the EV4 to this point. The car has suffered one delay after another.
var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};
adpushup.que.push(function() {
if (adpushup.config.platform !== “DESKTOP”){
adpushup.triggerAd(“89c65a14-4682-4807-a4bb-5436c5361bee”);
} else{
adpushup.triggerAd(“f25825bd-1260-4574-84ce-2b26e315fad8”);
}
});
What’s the Hold-Up?
When asked about that delay, Wager said “Can you give me the answer of when the tariffs are going to be resolved in Mexico, Canada, and Seoul? If you give me that answer, I’ll be as specific as possible.”
Wager made it clear that the Korean automaker isn’t waiting for tariffs to go away altogether, either. It just wants to see them set at a specific stable figure.
“At that point in time we look at it and say, are we at 25 [percent], are we at 15—and then we can build our business case,” he said. “It was originally designed and engineered when the tariffs were zero percent.”
var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};
adpushup.que.push(function() {
if (adpushup.config.platform !== “DESKTOP”){
adpushup.triggerAd(“bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c”);
} else {
adpushup.triggerAd(“9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751”);
}
});
For now, it’s the uncertainty that keeps cars like the EV4 and Kia’s planned EV pickup out of the USA. Of course, customer demand might not be strong enough anyway after the end of the federal tax EV credits.
Wager admitted that both factors are playing a role. “We’ve got a great portfolio of EVs that are on sale in a lot of other places in the world that we could choose from,” he added. “We just need resolution, and then we also need the consumer market here to want them.”
Get Ready for Price Increases
Between now and whenever Kia decides what to do with the pickup and EV4, it might have to bump prices up.
var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};
adpushup.que.push(function() {
if (adpushup.config.platform !== “DESKTOP”){
adpushup.triggerAd(“b25ecba7-3bbb-4ea7-a3a8-dbea91695c07”);
} else {
adpushup.triggerAd(“e46c436a-adeb-4b5e-a2c7-56bc36561c10”);
}
});
“Others have raised prices,” Wager said. “I’m not going to name names, and we’ve seen their sales drop. The takeaway is we can’t do it forever. We’ve made it eight months since April so far. If tariffs don’t get resolved or they’re that high, we’ll have to make the business decision. As far as parts tariffs and import tariffs, at some point in time, we can’t absorb it all.”
Hyundai Motor Group has already proven that it can bend a little but part of its biggest draw is being a solid value proposition against rivals. The near future will determine if it can bend enough to keep that reputation without breaking.
#Kias #Electric #Pickup #Plans #Suddenly #Stall
