The effects of U.S. tariffs on the auto industry cannot be overstated and include billions of dollars in added costs for automakers and suppliers, forced supply chain restructuring and fragmentation, rising manufacturing costs, and more.
Obviously, these costs ultimately get transferred to the consumer, leading to higher new car prices. But there’s another ugly consequence for buyers: some models are getting removed from the U.S. market because the tariffs make them no longer financially viable.
Kia Blames “Changing Market Conditions” for the Decision
Earlier today, we’ve learned that the facelifted 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6, which is made in South Korea, is no longer coming to the U.S.—although the Ioniq 6 N performance variant is—and now we hear that the 2026 Kia EV6 GT performance EV has been delayed indefinitely.
Kia manufactures most EV6 variants at its plant in West Point, Georgia, but the range-topping EV6 GT, whose dual-motor AWD powertrain churns out up to 641 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque in launch mode, is built in South Korea and is therefore subject to 25% tariffs. As a result, while the rest of the 2025/2026 Kia EV6 lineup remains on sale, the EV6 GT does not.
“Offering tremendous value and exhilarating performance to customers across Kia’s full range of vehicles is paramount, but due to changing market conditions, the 2026 EV6 GT will be delayed until further notice,” Kia said in a statement provided to Road & Track.
The automaker added that the delay “does not impact the availability of other trims in the EV6 lineup” that are produced in the USA. The 2025 EV6 GT was priced at $65,295 before being paused, and importing it from South Korea now with the 25% tariffs in place would likely make it too expensive to be viable in the market.
The 2025 EV6 GT Is Gone from Kia’s Online Configurator—and Dealer Lots
The EV6 GT has already been removed from Kia USA’s online configurator, while the rest of the EV6 lineup remains available. A quick search on the automaker’s website reveals that there’s not a single new 2025 EV6 GT available on dealer lots, either.
Tariffs aside, it’s not like EV6 GT sales were booming either. While Kia doesn’t break down sales by trim, EV6 sales combined dropped 60% in the first two months of this year to just 1,140 units; with the EV6 GT being the most expensive of the bunch, sales were probably the lowest among all trims.
Besides the EV6 GT, Kia USA is also delaying the EV4 compact electric sedan and the EV3 compact hatchback; both are built in South Korea.
Unless Kia decides to build the EV6 GT in the U.S., it’s uncertain when and if the high-performance EV will return to the market. As R&T points out, most automakers that are delaying EVs because of tariffs have done so indefinitely, likely waiting for a reduction of the import duties. When and if that happens is a discussion for another time.
