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How Much Horsepower Does A Kia Have?

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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX291 hp
S291 hp
EX291 hp
EX X-Line291 hp
SX291 hp
SX X-Line291 hp
SX X-Pro291 hp
SX Prestige291 hp
SX Prestige X-Line291 hp
SX Prestige X-Pro291 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX290 hp
LX Seat Package290 hp
EX290 hp
SX290 hp
SX Prestige290 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX191 hp
S191 hp
X-Line S (AWD)191 hp
EX281 hp
X-Line EX (AWD)281 hp
SX281 hp
SX Prestige281 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX187 hp
EX187 hp
X-Line (AWD)187 hp
SX187 hp
SX Prestige187 hp
Sport X-Pro187 hp
Sport X-Pro Prestige187 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX146 hp
S146 hp
EX146 hp
Nightfall Edition175 hp
SX175 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX147 hp
S147 hp
GT-Line147 hp
EX147 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LXS (FWD)180 hp
GT-Line (FWD)180 hp
GT-Line (AWD)180 hp
EX180 hp
GT290 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
GT-Line300 hp
GT2368 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX120 hp
S120 hp
5-Door120 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX147 hp
LXS147 hp
GT-Line147 hp
GT201 hp
GT Manual201 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
EX180 hp
SX Touring180 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX139 hp
EX139 hp
EX Touring139 hp
SX139 hp
SX Touring139 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
Wind201 hp
Wave201 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
SX Prestige261 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
EX227 hp
SX Prestige227 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
X-Line261 hp
X-Line Prestige261 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 – TrimHorsepower (hp)
LX227 hp
EX227 hp
SX Prestige227 hp

Kia EV6

The EV6 from Kia is an all-electric crossover 

Kia EV6 – TrimHorsepower (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.