In today’s auto industry, few political and economic tools carry as much impact as tariffs. Their consequences for the automotive sector in the United States are hard to overstate. Automakers and suppliers are facing billions of dollars in additional costs, forcing companies to reorganize and fragment global supply chains while production expenses continue to rise.
As always, the final burden eventually falls on customers. Higher production and import costs inevitably reach the market in the form of more expensive vehicles. But the effects go beyond rising prices. In some cases, tariffs make certain models financially impossible to sell in the United States, forcing manufacturers to remove them from the market entirely.
The latest example comes from South Korea. It has now been confirmed that the refreshed Hyundai Ioniq 6 for the 2026 model year, which is produced in South Korea, will not be sold in the United States. The only exception will be the high performance Ioniq 6 N, which is still expected to arrive. Shortly afterward, another announcement followed. The 2026 Kia EV6 GT, the high-performance electric version of Kia’s EV6 crossover, has also been delayed indefinitely.
Tariffs Turned A Performance EV Into A Business Problem
Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.
Most versions of the EV6 are built at Kia’s factory in West Point, Georgia, which allows them to avoid import tariffs. The flagship EV6 GT, however, is assembled in South Korea. That detail suddenly became critical once new 25% import tariffs on foreign-built vehicles came into effect.
The EV6 GT is far from an ordinary electric crossover. Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system produces 641 hp in launch control mode, placing it among the quickest electric vehicles in its class. Yet precisely because it is produced outside the United States, the model has become economically difficult to sell under the new tariff structure.
While the rest of the EV6 lineup remains available for the 2025 and 2026 model years, the GT version has quietly disappeared from sale. Kia said in an official statement that delivering strong performance and solid value remains a priority, but the company acknowledged that changing market conditions forced it to delay the launch of the 2026 EV6 GT indefinitely.
Other Versions Stay On Sale
Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.
Kia emphasized that the decision does not affect versions built in the United States. Those models will continue to be offered normally.
Before it disappeared from the lineup, the 2025 EV6 GT started at $65,295 in the United States. With a 25% import tariff added to that cost, the price would likely climb to a level where the car would struggle to remain competitive against rivals.
The model has already been removed from Kia’s U.S. online configurator, while other EV6 versions remain available for ordering. A quick look at dealership inventories across the country also shows that no new 2025 EV6 GT units currently remain in stock.
Tariffs Are Not The Only Problem
Tariffs alone do not explain the decision. EV6 sales in the United States have also dropped sharply this year. While Kia does not publish detailed sales figures for individual trims, overall EV6 sales fell by about 60% in the first two months of the year, reaching only 1,140 units.
Since the GT version is the most expensive model in the lineup, it likely represented the smallest share of that total.
The situation does not stop there. Kia is also delaying the U.S. launch of two additional electric models, the compact EV4 sedan and the EV3 hatchback. Both vehicles are produced in South Korea and therefore face the same tariff challenges.
An Uncertain Future For The EV6 GT
Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.
At this point it is unclear when or if the EV6 GT will return to the American market. One possible solution would be moving production of the model to the United States, which would allow Kia to avoid the tariff penalties.
Until then, the future of this high-performance electric crossover remains uncertain. Several automakers that postponed EV launches because of tariffs have chosen to wait and see whether import duties might eventually change. When or if that might happen remains an open question.
For now, the EV6 GT has become another example of how political decisions can reshape the automotive market just as dramatically as technology or consumer demand.
This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.
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