Sime Darby Kia Taiwan Estimates New Car Market at 420,000 Units, Optimistic About C-SUVs and Hybrid Vehicles

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Kia''s general agent, Sime Darby Kia Taiwan, today estimated that the number of new car registrations in Taiwan this year (excluding heavy commercial vehicles) will be approximately 410,000 to 420,000 units, representing a slight increase compared to 2025. This growth is mainly driven by the continuous introduction of new models, with compact crossover SUVs (C-SUVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) continuing to boost the new car market.

Sime Darby Kia Taiwan held a press conference this afternoon for the new Kia hybrid SUV, The new Sportage, announcing its official launch in Taiwan. Sime Darby Kia Taiwan stated that The new Sportage aims to sell 5,000 units in Taiwan this year, with an overall sales target of 11,000 units for the year, an increase from approximately 10,600 units in 2025.

Observing Taiwan''s car market in the first four months of this year, Sime Darby Kia Taiwan Marketing Deputy General Manager Li Chia-yi pointed out that although new car registrations in Taiwan declined by about 4% compared to the same period in 2025, the compact crossover SUV (C-SUV) segment grew against the trend by 3.4%, accounting for about 28% of the total new car registrations in Taiwan in the first four months, making it the largest proportion among all vehicle segments. In addition, cumulative sales of hybrid electric vehicles in the first four months increased by 15.5% compared to the same period last year, with more than one out of every three new cars being a hybrid electric vehicle.

Li Chia-yi noted that Sime Darby Kia Taiwan will continue to expand the proportion of hybrid electric vehicles in Taiwan this year, further achieving the targets set by Kia headquarters. It is expected that the proportion of compact crossover SUVs in Taiwan''s overall new car sales this year has a chance to exceed 30%.

Regarding the layout of new dealerships, Li Chia-yi stated that 2 to 3 new or upgraded dealerships will be added in the first half of the year, including locations in Chiayi, Tainan Yongkang, and New Taipei Xinzhuang.

According to statistics, cumulative new car registrations in Taiwan for the first four months of this year reached 127,800 units, a slight decrease of 3.7% compared to 132,700 units in the same period in 2025.