Kia is coming for the Chinese king! Korean brand to launch six new electric vehicles – including 2026 EV5 and EV6 – this year to deliver an electric lineup that can take down BYD

Kia will launch six EVs across 2026 as the Korean brand builds an all-electric lineup to rival Chinese brands such as BYD.

The move forms part of Kia's incremental growth strategy for 2026, with the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (or NVES) unlocking niche electric vehicles that would normally be locked out of the Australian market.

That includes the just-launched Kia EV4 Sedan, for which the brand is forecasting 700 annual sales – a number significantly lower than would be expected from the brand's bigger EV sellers, but which will critically still contribute to its fleet emissions under the new regulations.

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But the EV4 Sedan is just the start of Kia's EV story in 2026, with another five models planned for launch before the end of the year.

First up will be a mid-life facelift for the EV6, including the EV6 GT, which will nab a bigger battery for more driving range, and across-the-board access to the Kia Connect app for remote vehicle access.

Previously, the EV6 and EV6 GT launches were staggered, but this time all will arrive at once before the end of Q1 this year.

"They will arrive all together. Previously we started with the EV6 and then the GT, but this time it will be all at once," says Roland Rivero, General Manager of Product Planning at Kia Australia.

2026 Kia EV9

"The Kia Connect system is something that our owners have been asking for."

That story then continues with the fire-breathing EV9 GT, which will lend serious performance to the brand's biggest electric offering, with the GT variant sporting dual electric motors that produce a combined 374kW and 740Nm. That means the 2.6-tonne beast will clip 100km/h in an astonishing 4.5 seconds.

Other fun stuff includes an electronically-controlled limited slip differential, adaptive suspension, performance brakes and simulated gear shifts, a bit like you'd find in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Next is the PV5, Kia's funky-looking electric van, which will arrive in Q2. The cargo variant will be first to arrive, with the medium van offered with three battery sizes and a working range in excess of 400kms. It will be followed by the passenger version – offered with two battery choices – which will arrive later.

"It gets a passenger variant with seven seats towards the back end of the year," Mr Rivero says.

Finally, and also towards the end of the year, the EV5 will get its first update, though details are scarce for now. Also coming in 2026, though not strictly an EV, is the third-generation Kia Seltos, this time with a hybrid.

And all of this, says Kia, will grow the brand's share in an otherwise stable market.

"In regards to 2026, it's our intention to grow. Where do we get market share? It will be what we've done over the past decade, we'll be gouging market share from anyone we possibly can," says Kia Australia CEO, Damien Meredith.