The Cheapest Kia Car For Every Body Style – CarBuzz

Kia is known for being reliable and dependable, but also for producing high-quality cars that are actually reasonably priced. It’s one of the benefits of shopping in the Kia stable, whether you’re opting for a cheap-and-cheerful Kia Soul, or a comfortable family MPV in the Kia Carnival.

Kia

Kia is a South Korean automaker headquartered in Seoul. It was originally founded in 1944 as a bicycle manufacturer which later built small motorcycles, and Mazda-licensed trucks and cars. After building an assembly plant in th early 70s, the company also produced the Bisa range of cars until 1981 before coming to a half due to the political situation at the time. Production kicked off again in 1986 in partnership with Ford, and in 1992 the company started sellling cars in North America. Today it is the second-largest automaker in South Korea, right behind Hyundai.

Founded

June 9, 1944 (as Kyungsung Precision Industry)

Founder

Kim Cheol-ho

Headquarters

Seoul, South Korea

Owned By

Hyundai Motor Group

Current CEO

Ho Sung Song

2025 offers some compelling Kia products – but if you’re looking for the cheapest Kia car, there’s actually a lot of choice. While Kia continues to reinvent itself with updated designs, sportier trims, and an award-worthy EV lineup, there are still a handful of cheap Kia cars that won’t break the bank too much. While the brand supports its image with higher trim levels that come equipped with a variety of modern comfort and convenience features, it still hasn’t forgotten its roots. Affordable Kias still exist. Here’s a list of the cheapest Kias for each segment.

Cheapest Two-Row SUV: Kia Soul LX

Starting Price: $20,490

If you’re in the market for a two-row SUV, then Kia’s cheapest new car is the Soul. For the 2025 model year, Kia increased the Soul’s pricing on every trim level by $100, which isn’t much, and despite this, it’s still pretty cheap. The base model starts at just $20,490. There are four trims available, including the LX, S, GT-Line, and SX, and every one of them starts at under $25k.

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Every trim level is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. They are all front-wheel-drive, and use a continuously variable transmission. Three out of four trims get 27/33/30 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles, and all four versions can fit up to five passengers. You also get 62.1 cubic feet of cargo with the rear sets folded down.

The differences become more clear when looking at which features are available in each trim. The Soul LX has manually-controlled, single-zone air conditioning while every other trim has dual automatic A/C. The LX and S trims are stuck with cloth seats while the top two versions are trimmed in either SynTex or Tricot; and the base model only has an eight-in infotainment display while the other three get 10.25-inch display with navigation.

Cheapest Three-Row SUV: Kia Sorento LX

Starting Price: $31,990

The three-row SUV is continuing to dominate new car sales in the United States, so Kia offers a relatively affordable option. The Kia Sorento is available in eight trims (not including the hybrid version), but the cheapest is worth celebrating at $31,990 for the base LX trim level. Pictured above is the top-of-the-line X-Pro trim, which is equipped with special seats along with some other more luxurious features.

The base model, though, is still a decent SUV that can bring all the kids to school, or carry weeks’ worth of groceries in one trip. This version is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft, and achieves 23/31/26 mpg. Depending on how the Sorento is configured, it can fit five, six, or seven occupants, but the LX trim only gets the option of a second-row bench seat that allows for seven people in total. When all the rear seats are folded down, it can carry up to 75.5 cubic feet of cargo.

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The base model lacks many of the features of the higher trims, but it’s not totally empty. Some features include a six-way manually-adjustable driver’s seat that’s trimmed in cloth, a 12.3-inch infotainment display, and 17-inch alloy wheels. If you can upgrade to a higher trim, then you could have an infotainment system with navigation built-in, 20-inch wheels, and SynTex seat trim.

Cheapest Minivan: Kia Carnival LX

Starting Price: $36,800

The 2025 Kia Carnival is the cheapest Kia car if you need to fit a lot of people comfortably. While the Sorento can technically hold up to seven passengers, the Carnival has more interior space and room for up to eight passengers when configured properly; Kia calls it an MPV, not a minivan. Pictured above is the SX trim level, which is identified by 19-inch black alloy wheels, but the cheapest version of the Carnival is the base model LX trim, which starts at $36,800.

Every trim level of the Carnival is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque and connects to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. On the inside, the Carnival can be configured for either seven or eight passengers, and holds a maximum of 145.1 cubic feet of cargo with the back seats folded down.

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The Carnival LX has a handful of decent standard features, but loses out on some comfort that’s found in the higher trims. Some highlights in the LX trim include a 6-way manual driver’s seat and 4-way manual passenger seat, cloth seat trim, and a 6-speaker audio system. Features found in the higher trim levels are a 12-speaker Bose Premium sound system, sound-absorbing front door window glass, and heated/ventilated front seats.

Cheapest Sedan: Kia K4 LX

Starting Price: $21,990

The Kia K4, which replaced the Forte, is the least expensive Kia sedan. Pictured above is the Kia K4 GT-Line, which comes with a host of sportier cosmetics like sport seats, black wheels, and some comfort features that we’ll get to later. The cheapest Kia K4 is the LX trim, like every other base model Kia. The K4 LX starts at $21,990, but even the most expensive K4 starts under $30k. In every trim except the most expensive, you get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Fortunately, the LX trim with front-wheel-drive also gets the best fuel economy at 30/40/34 mpg. All trims can hold up to five passengers, and fit 14.6 cubic feet of cargo in the trunk.

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As expected from a cheap Kia, the K4 LX is pretty bare-bones. Standard features include manually adjustable front seats, manual air conditioning, cloth seats, and a 4-speaker audio system. If you can stretch your budget by a few thousand dollars, do it; the higher trims come with better features, like power seats, automatic climate controls (with rear vents), SynTex seats, and the highest trim, the GT-Line, has a Harman Kardon premium sound system with eight speakers.

Bonus Categories:

Cheap Used Kia: 2023 Rio

For an especially affordable Kia, consider looking to the used market. One particular example that you can find some great deals on without the car being too beat up or having high miles is the 2023 Kia Rio. The 2023 model was the last one produced before being discontinued, so that year will have some of the nicer examples available. At the time of writing, the average price of a 2023 Kia Rio Sedan is about $15k. It is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque. The EPA estimated 32 and 41 mpg in the city and on the highway, making it one of the most efficient cars when it was new.

What’s The Cheapest New Kia EV?

The cheapest new Kia electric vehicle is currently the Niro EV, which starts at $39,600 for the base model “Wind” trim. This Kia is powered by a single electric motor for the front wheels that makes 201 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. While it’s capable of maintaining a claimed 113 MPGe combined, the Niro EV is expected to reach 253 miles of range. Even though it’s the cheapest EV from Kia, it’s not a cheap car, so it comes with a handful of nice standard features at the base level. Some highlights include 10-way power front seats with lumbar support, heated front seats, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Sources: Kia, EPA, Autotempest