Kia, a popular automotive brand from South Korean, is allegedly preparing a grand comeback to the Russian market. Insiders say that the cars are expected to be officially delivered from Kazakhstan. This was reportedly announced by brand representatives during a closed meeting with dealers.
According to car expert Oleg Moseev, Kia plans to return to Russia in 2026, with potential sales up to 100,000 cars annually. Six models are currently under consideration, including new ones not previously available in the country.
Exports are expected to come from Kazakhstan and China. However, without industrial subsidies, full recycling fees will apply and no compensation will be provided. As a result, car prices are expected to significantly exceed expectations.
The company also stated its intent to expand its dealership network to 120 locations. However, implementation of these plans will depend on the response from the market and business partners. Preliminary prices are twice as high as in Kazakhstan:
(All prices converted from Russian rubles)
- Kia Picanto: from approximately $19,100;
- Kia K4: from approximately $38,200;
- Kia Sportage: from approximately $63,700;
- Kia Sorento: from approximately $87,900;
- Kia K8 is also among planned models but the price hasn’t been disclosed.
Kursiv.media reached out to Allur, the official manufacturer of Kia vehicles in Kazakhstan, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Kia suspended its production in Russia in 2022, and later reports suggested a full exit from the market. However, rumors of the company’s comeback began circulating this spring.
Notably, this development comes amid a sharp drop in gray exports of cars from Kazakhstan, which fell nearly 3.5-fold year-on-year over the first five months of 2025.
In late March, Kursiv Cars reported that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction wanted to arrange with Russian counterparts to export domestically assembled vehicles to the Russian market. As part of that proposal, the ministry suggested that Kazakh-assembled vehicles be exempted from Russia’s recycling fee, citing Kia models as an example for the cars for export.
