Horsepower ratings give us a quick and easy way to gauge the power of a car engine. When exploring Kia’s catalog of attractive, reliable, and competitively-priced vehicles, it is worth knowing how much horsepower the car produces.
The average Kia car has 226 horsepower. Kia’s Stinger GT2 sedan has the highest horsepower rating at 368hp and the Kia Rio has an engine with a horsepower rating of 120hp, which is the lowest in the Kia range
If you want to know how much horsepower a Kia produces (but lack the time or inclination to find out), you can obtain this technical information in a concisely-summarized form below.
Horsepower Ratings For Kia Models
Kia has a long-established reputation for producing high-quality automobiles. The brand’s cars have won numerous accolades, including the 2020 World Car Awards (for the Kia Telluride model 2020), and the respected JD Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study (2022).
Kia makes a broad variety of vehicles, from SUVs to sedans and high-performance roadsters.
The horsepower of Kia’s cars differs considerably depending on factors such as the:
- Model
- Trim (or model series)
- Engine type
- Drivetrain configuration
In the following sections, we’ll see the horsepower ratings for Kia’s diverse portfolio of innovative, aesthetically-pleasing, and value-for-money models for 2023.
Before proceeding, note that the horsepower ratings for Kia models with fuel-powered combustion engines are presented according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) testing standards.
The following sections present the ratings for hybrid Kia models based on the combined horsepower of the fuel engine and electric motors (called combined drivetrain horsepower).
The horsepower of some Kia all-electric vehicles is in metric horsepower (measured in kW, with 1kW equal to 1.34hp).
SUVs/CUVs/MPVs (2023 Models)
Kia has a stylish, muscular, and high-performing range of sports and compact utility vehicles (SUVs and CUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs).
The following tables show the horsepower ratings for Kia’s SUV, CUV, and MPV models.
Kia Telluride
The Telluride is the most powerful SUV in the Kia lineup. Kia offers this mid-sized SUV model in 10 trims (or series). The horsepower rating for the Kia Telluride is shown below.
| Telluride – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 291 hp |
| S | 291 hp |
| EX | 291 hp |
| EX X-Line | 291 hp |
| SX | 291 hp |
| SX X-Line | 291 hp |
| SX X-Pro | 291 hp |
| SX Prestige | 291 hp |
| SX Prestige X-Line | 291 hp |
| SX Prestige X-Pro | 291 hp |
Kia Carnival MPV
The Carnival MPV is an SUV that is nearly as potent as the Telluride. Here are the horsepower ratings for each Carnival trim.
| Kia Carnival MPV – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 290 hp |
| LX Seat Package | 290 hp |
| EX | 290 hp |
| SX | 290 hp |
| SX Prestige | 290 hp |
Kia Sorento
The Kia Sorento is an excellent mid-sized SUV with two horsepower ratings for its various trims, as you can see below.
| Kia Sorento – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 191 hp |
| S | 191 hp |
| X-Line S (AWD) | 191 hp |
| EX | 281 hp |
| X-Line EX (AWD) | 281 hp |
| SX | 281 hp |
| SX Prestige | 281 hp |
| X-Line SX Prestige (AWD) | 281 hp |
Kia Sportage
The Sportage is one of Kia’s most popular crossovers (or CUVs). All the trims for this model have the same horsepower rating.
| Kia Sportage – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 187 hp |
| EX | 187 hp |
| X-Line (AWD) | 187 hp |
| SX | 187 hp |
| SX Prestige | 187 hp |
| Sport X-Pro | 187 hp |
| Sport X-Pro Prestige | 187 hp |
Kia Seltos
Kia’s Seltos is one of the brand’s modern compact SUVs. The Seltos model has the following horsepower ratings for its trim options.
| Kia Seltos – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 146 hp |
| S | 146 hp |
| EX | 146 hp |
| Nightfall Edition | 175 hp |
| SX | 175 hp |
Kia Soul
The Soul is Kia’s entry-level crossover SUV that the brand produces in four trims with the same horsepower ratings, as the next table indicates.
| Kia Soul – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 147 hp |
| S | 147 hp |
| GT-Line | 147 hp |
| EX | 147 hp |
Sedans (2023 Models)
Kia’s range of sedans is among the brand’s most popular and recognizable. The Kia sedan models and their horsepower ratings vary considerably, as we’re about to observe.
Kia K-5
The Kia K-5 is a mid-sized sedan with the second-highest horsepower rating in this category.
| Kia K-5 – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LXS (FWD) | 180 hp |
| GT-Line (FWD) | 180 hp |
| GT-Line (AWD) | 180 hp |
| EX | 180 hp |
| GT | 290 hp |
Kia Stinger
The Stinger is Kia’s no.1 sports sedan. This GT2 trim for the Stinger has a Twin-Turbocharged 3.3L V6 engine that produces the most horsepower of any Kia model.
| Kia Stinger – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| GT-Line | 300 hp |
| GT2 | 368 hp |
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is a highly efficient subcompact sedan with the lowest horsepower rating in the brand’s catalog. It’s one of the smallest Kia cars available.
| Kia Rio – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 120 hp |
| S | 120 hp |
| 5-Door | 120 hp |
Kia Forte
Kia’s Forte is a reliable compact sedan with impressive engine power for a car of its size, as the table below affirms.
| Kia Forte – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 147 hp |
| LXS | 147 hp |
| GT-Line | 147 hp |
| GT | 201 hp |
| GT Manual | 201 hp |
Hybrid/Electric (2023 Models)
Kia has a selection of technologically-advanced hybrid and electric vehicle models with varying horsepower ratings.
The following tables summarize the amount of horsepower that these models produce.
Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid
The Niro Plug-In Hybrid combines a 1.6L 4-Cylinder engine with a Full Parallel Hybrid System (FPHS) electric motor to produce the car’s power and speed.
| Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| EX | 180 hp |
| SX Touring | 180 hp |
Kia Niro Hybrid
Kia’s Niro Hybrid is a crossover SUV with the same internal combustion engine and electric motor as the Plug-In trim, but with a slightly smaller battery and a lower horsepower rating.
| Kia Niro Hybrid – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 139 hp |
| EX | 139 hp |
| EX Touring | 139 hp |
| SX | 139 hp |
| SX Touring | 139 hp |
Kia Niro EV
The Kia Niro EV is an all-electric crossover SUV with an energy-efficient and powerful Permanent Magnet Synchronous electric motor.
| Kia Niro EV – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| Wind | 201 hp |
| Wave | 201 hp |
Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid
The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid from Kia is a mid-sized SUV with a 1.6L Turbocharged 4-Cylinder engine and FPHS electric motor. Kia offers this model in the SX Prestige trim.
| Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| SX Prestige | 261 hp |
Kia Sorento Hybrid
Kia also produces a Sorento Hybrid model with a 1.6L 4-Cylinder engine and an electric FPHS. The Sorento Hybrid has slightly less horsepower than the Plug-In model.
| Kia Sorento Hybrid – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| EX | 227 hp |
| SX Prestige | 227 hp |
Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid
The Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid is a crossover equipped that has an FPHS combined with a 1.6L Turbocharged combustion engine.
| Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| X-Line | 261 hp |
| X-Line Prestige | 261 hp |
Kia Sportage Hybrid
Kia’s Sportage Hybrid crossover boasts a 1.6L 4-Cylinder and FPHS motor which produce a horsepower rating equivalent to the Sorento Hybrid model.
| Kia Sportage Hybrid – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| LX | 227 hp |
| EX | 227 hp |
| SX Prestige | 227 hp |
Kia EV6
The EV6 from Kia is an all-electric crossover
| Kia EV6 – Trim | Horsepower (hp) |
|---|---|
| Wind (RWD) | 225 hp |
| Wind (e-AWD) | 320 hp |
| GT-Line (RWD) | 225 hp |
| GT-Line (e-AWD) | 320 hp |
| GT (e-AWD) | 576 hp |
Conclusion
Kia cars have different horsepower ratings depending on the style and model of the vehicle. The horsepower of Kia automobiles also differs for many of the trim (or series) and their specific engine designs.
At the lowest end of the spectrum is Kia’s Rio (2023), which has a horsepower rating of 120hp. The Kia model with the most horsepower is the Stinger GT2 (2023), whose engine produces an impressive 368hp.
I listed the weight of all the available Kia models here and the fuel economy of all their cars in this post.