[Kia Investor Day] Targeting 170 Trillion Won in Revenue and 10% Operating Margin by 2030

Kia has announced its business plan for 2026 and set out its mid-to-long-term financial targets. The company aims to boost sales, increase its global market share, and achieve 170 trillion won in revenue by 2030.

Kia President Song Hosung is explaining Kia's mid- to long-term business strategy at the '2026 CEO Investor Day.' Kia

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At the "2026 CEO Investor Day" held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on April 9, Kia stated that it has set a goal for 2026 of selling 3.35 million vehicles, representing approximately 7% growth compared to the previous year, and targeting a global market share of 3.8%, a 0.3 percentage point increase from the previous year.

In the United States, the company plans to sustain sales growth momentum through the launch of new vehicles, including hybrid versions of its key models Telluride and Seltos. In Europe, Kia intends to strengthen its market dominance by offering a full lineup of mass-market electric vehicles ranging from the EV2 to the EV5.

Kia has set a target for eco-friendly vehicle sales at 1,122,000 units, over 45% growth from the previous year. The hybrid sales target is 691,000 units, and the electric vehicle sales target is 400,000 units. Among this year's sales targets, hybrids and electric vehicles are projected to account for 21% and 12% of total sales, respectively.

This year, Kia's financial targets include: ▲ revenue of 122.3 trillion won (up 7.2% year-on-year), ▲ operating profit of 10.2 trillion won (up 12.4% year-on-year), and ▲ an operating margin of 8.3% (up 0.3 percentage points year-on-year).

Boston Dynamics Atlas, Spot. Kia

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For operating profit, Kia expects a decrease of 2.4 trillion won due to increased incentives, exchange rates, and tariff effects. However, the company also anticipates a 3.5 trillion won increase as a result of continued cost improvements driven by higher sales volume, improved product mix, higher average selling prices (ASP), and fixed cost reductions. As a result, operating profit is projected to reach 10.2 trillion won, an increase of 1.1 trillion won compared to the previous year.

Kia also plans to continually expand investments to secure its future competitiveness. The company has set an investment budget of 10.1 trillion won this year, an increase of 1.2 trillion won from the previous year. The total investment for the new five-year plan (2026-2030) will reach 49 trillion won, up 7 trillion won from the previous five-year plan. Of this, investments in future businesses such as electrification, autonomous driving, and robotics will amount to 21 trillion won, representing an 11% increase compared to the previous plan.

For its mid-to-long-term financial targets, Kia aims to achieve 150 trillion won in revenue and a 9% operating margin by 2028, and 170 trillion won in revenue, a 10% operating margin, and 17 trillion won in operating profit by 2030.

Kia identified the key drivers for achieving these targets as: ▲ maximizing new vehicle effects and expanding eco-friendly (xEV) sales for outperformance, ▲ cost innovation for HEVs and EVs through next-generation system transitions and simplification of battery system structures, and ▲ manufacturing innovation through localized supply chains and smart factory transitions.

Kia will also strengthen its shareholder return policy to enhance shareholder value. The company has set a total shareholder return (TSR) target of 35% or higher from 2026 to 2028, and will continue to expand shareholder returns through dividends, share buybacks, and share cancellations.

A Kia representative stated, "By driving growth in advanced markets focused on hybrids and electric vehicles based on our eco-friendly vehicle leadership, enhancing profitability in emerging markets through stronger products and relentless cost innovation, transitioning to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) through autonomous driving leadership, and advancing manufacturing innovation based on robotics, we will achieve our mid-to-long-term goals."

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