Kia Towing Capacity by Model

On this page you can browse the 704 Kia cars, trucks, and SUVs across 10 unique Kia models that we have towing capacity and payload information for.

Use the links below to see more details in the Kia model you're interested in - sorted by year of production and then by trim.

How Good are Kia Vehicles for Towing?

Kia Motors Corporation is a multinational automobile manufacturer based in South Korea where they are the country’s second largest auto company. The first place company is Hyundai who are essentially Kia’s parent company as minority shareholders.

The origins of Kia date back to the original company Kyungsung Precision Industry which was founded on June 9th 1944. This original company specialized in steel tubing and bicycle parts and would go on to produce Korea's first domestically made bicycle.

In 1952 the company changed its name to Kia Industries, with Kia roughly translating to “Rising from Asia.” Starting in 1957 the company began assembling Honda-licensed small motorcycles then in 1962 they began building Mazda -licensed trucks and later cars in 1974.

In 1981 Kia had to switch to light trucks only due to the new rules imposed by new military dictator Chun Doo-Hwan. In 1986 however Kia were able to start manufacturing cars again in partnership with Ford.

These cars were placed at the budget end of the automotive market and included the Kia Pride which was based on the Mazda 121 and the Avella. It was in 1992 that Kia Motors America was incorporated with the first Kia branded models going on sale in Portland, Oregon out of four local dealerships.

In 1997 Kia declared bankruptcy but within a year were able to reach a deal with Hyundai to diversify and exchange ownership between the two companies. With each exchanging shares Hyundai was given a 51% interest in Kia.

The big question is can this relative newcomer that built its business on creating models from other companies' existing models offer much in towing power? The answer to the question is yes, Kia cars can offer up at least some level of towing power.

When you fit a towing package to a 2022 Kia Sorento you can achieve 3,500 lbs. of towing power. Without the towing package however the model is limited to 2,500 lbs. of towing power.

The powerhouse of the brand is the Telluride which has an official tow rating of up to 5,000 lbs. which is great for a small trailer. Other models such as the Sportage crossover can manage 2,000 lbs. while the Carnival minivan can pull up to 3,500 lbs.

Despite the fact that Kia tends to favor more compact vehicles they do for the most part offer some level of towing power. Some may need an additional towing package to reach their full potential.