According to Kia’s local arm, wait times on all available models in Australia can range from zero to six months. Here’s what you need to know.
It’s been a busy 2024 for Kia, with the South Korean car maker launching a slew of all-new or updated models, each with its own set of wait times in Australia.
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Generally speaking, a quoted wait time refers to the estimated time it takes a brand to build, ship and deliver a customer’s order.
Outside of the highly anticipated Tasman – the first ute in the brand’s history – which won’t arrive until sometime in 2025, a Kia Australia spokesperson provided Drive with an estimated delivery time frame across its entire range.
Disclaimer: Unless stated otherwise, the prices listed in this article are the recommended retail price and do not include on-road costs. As such, prices may differ upon checkout. Prices are accurate as of November 28, 2024.
What is the wait time for a Kia Picanto?
According to a Kia Australia spokesperson, the Picanto city hatch has an estimated waiting time of three to four months.
The Kia Picanto’s price starts from $18,290 for the base-spec Sport Manual variant, while the entry-level Sport with an automatic transmission kicks off from $19,890 before on-road costs.
For the range-topping Picanto GT-Line, the manual variant is priced from $20,090, while the Picanto GT-Line automatic starts from $21,690 before on-road costs.
According to the latest October sales data, Kia’s pint-sized hatch is leading the micro passenger class segment, accounting for approximately 91 per cent of the category, with 4938 examples sold in the nine months to October 2024.
In terms of the second-hand market, the Kia Picanto ranks among the top 10 best-selling used passenger cars.
What is the wait time for a Kia Cerato?
A Kia Australia spokesperson told Drive “There is sufficient Cerato stock in the dealer network until K4 arrives in Q1 of 2025″.
This means customers can get their hands on a Cerato hatch or sedan now without waiting too long for delivery.
As previously reported by Drive, the 2025 Kia K4 – unveiled in the US in March 2024 – will replace the Cerato in Australia between January and March 2025.
While the South Korean car maker first showed off the K4 as a four-door sedan, a K4 hatchback variant is expected to follow at a later, unspecified date, though Kia has yet to officially confirm the model.
The incoming K4 sedan measures 4709mm in length, 1859mm in width and 1419mm in height. For context, this would make it slightly bigger than the current Cerato sedan, which comes in at 4640mm x 1800mm x 1435–1440mm, respectively.
At present, the Cerato hatch and sedan start from $27,060 before on-road costs for the S automatic variants, while the the top-spec Cerato GT carries a $36,860 retail price tag.
For reference, the Kia K4 is available for purchase in the US, with the base-spec 2025 Kia K4 LX priced from $US21,990 ($AUD33,850) and up to $US25,190 ($AUD38,773) before on-road costs.
What is the wait time for a Kia Stonic?
Potential Kia Stonic customers might have to wait four to five months to get their hands on the South Korean car maker’s smallest SUV.
The current generation of the Stonic is priced from $25,460 before on-road costs for the base-spec S variant, while the mid-trim Stonic Sport has a starting price of $28,590 and the Stonic GT-Line starts from $31,780 before on-road costs.
The Stonic models currently on sale are only available with an automatic transmission, following the South Korean car maker’s decision to axe the Stonic manual variant from its current line-up in May 2024.
What is the wait time for a Kia Seltos?
Depending on customer specifications, the Kia Seltos has an estimated wait time of five to six months.
The Kia Seltos SUV range starts from $29,780 plus on-road costs for the S automatic variant and reaches the top-spec Seltos GT-Line AWD, which is priced from $45,180 plus on-road costs.
The 2026 Kia Seltos has previously been spotted testing in its native South Korea, with production reportedly beginning in August 2025 ahead of local launch by the end of next year, according to South Korean outlet ETNews.
This could mean the next-generation Seltos is likely to arrive in Australia by the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026, pending there are no delays. However, Kia’s local division has not yet confirmed when the new Seltos will arrive in Australia.
As previously reported by Drive, Kia is likely to introduce a hybrid variant of the second-generation Seltos.
What is the wait time for a Kia Sportage?
Kia’s best-selling model, the Sportage SUV, has an estimated five-month wait time. For reference, Kia offers a whopping 13 variants for the mid-sized SUV, ranging from petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains.
Pricing on the petrol-powered Sportage range starts from the base-trim Sportage S manual (from $32,995 before on-road costs) and extends to the top-spec Sportage GT-Line DCT in all-wheel drive priced from $49,920 before on-road costs.
Customers opting for a Sportage diesel SUV can expect a starting price of $40,395 for the entry-level S diesel automatic, while the range-topping Sportage GT-Line diesel automatic comes with a $52,920 price tag.
Meanwhile, the Sportage is available in two automatic hybrid variants, the SX Hybrid (from $45,950) and the GT-Line Hybrid that kicks off at $55,420.
For context, the Kia Sportage was the eighth most sold car in October 2024 at 2136 units sold in the month. In terms of yearly sales, Kia has sold 18,231 examples of its medium-sized SUV between October 2023 to October 2024.
With two months left in the year, the Sportage is on pace to break its own sales record of 18,792 examples recorded in 2022.
A Kia spokesperson previously told Drive the abundance of different powertrain options available on the Sportage has been a key contributor to increased consumer demand.
“The Sportage range provides new car buyers with a choice of petrol, diesel and now hybrid powertrain options – a Sportage to suit every medium SUV customer,” they explained.
What is the wait time for a Kia Sorento?
In terms of the Kia Sorento, customers should expect a four to five-month wait list before taking delivery of the mid-sized SUV.
For context, the base-spec Kia Sorento – in the S petrol automatic variant – is priced from $50,680 and extends to the flagship Sorento GT-line automatic (from $65,590 before on-road costs).
Meanwhile, the entry-level Sorento S diesel DCT has a starting retail price of $53,680 and reaches the top-spec Sorento GT-Line diesel that has a starting price point of $68,590.
Customers wanting to purchase a Sorento hybrid can expect to pay at least $70,330 for the GT-Line, while the plug-in hybrid Sorento is priced from $84,660 before on-road costs.
What is the wait time for a Kia Carnival?
In the case of the Kia Carnival, wait times can reach up to six months. Similar to other Kia models, the South Korean car maker offers the Carnival in petrol, diesel and hybrid.
For the petrol Carnival, prices start from $50,150 for the S petrol variant and extend to the GT-Line petrol Carnival, which kicks off at $70,680.
Meanwhile, the base-spec S diesel Carnival is priced from $52,380 and maxes out at the GT-Line diesel Carnival from $72,910.
Kia customers wanting a hybrid Carnival can expect to pay $76,210 before on-road costs are applied.
According to the latest sales data, the Kia Carnival is the best-selling people mover in Australia, with the South Korean car maker selling 8503 Carnivals in the nine months leading up to October 2024 – representing approximately 84 per cent of the market class.
What is the wait time for a Kia Niro?
A Kia Australia spokesperson told Drive there is “limited stock” of its Niro SUV — in both hybrid and electric form — across its Australian dealer network.
Interestingly, they mentioned that “the demand for Niro is mostly [from] fleet [buyers]”.
The Kia Niro, in its base-spec hybrid form, starts from $45,000 before on-road costs for the S variant, while the GT-Line Niro hybrid has a starting price of $50,650 before on-road costs.
Similarly, the entry-level electric Niro S is priced at $66,590 before on-road costs and tops out at the Niro GT-Line from $72,360 before on-road costs.
What is the wait time for a Kia EV5?
The new Kia EV5 electric SUV in its base-spec Air and mid-trim Earth variants is available for purchase and delivery across Kia’s dealer network now. However, the range-topping EV5 GT-Line has an approximate wait time of two to three months.
The entry-level Kia Air (standard range) is currently available for $56,770 drive-away. For the Air Long Range variant, pricing starts from $61,170 before on-road costs.
Customers wanting the mid-trim Kia EV5 Earth can expect to pay $64,770 before on-road costs, while the top-range GT-Line/GT-Line Two-Tone EV5 kicks off from $71,770 before on-road costs.
The South Korean car maker previously planned an Australian launch in June 2024 launch, but was forced to push the date to October following unexpected issues with the vehicle.
“The delay was because the car wasn’t right in regard to ride and handling. We had to get that fixed – and we fixed it,” Damien Meredith, Kia Australia CEO, previously told Drive.
What is the wait time for a Kia EV6?
There are no wait times for the Kia EV6 and EV6 GT as there is sufficient stock among Kia’s domestic dealer network.
For the base-spec Kia EV6 Air, prices start from $72,590, while the Kia EV6 GT-Line is priced from $79,590 and reaches the top-spec EV6 GT AWD priced from $99,590.
It is worth noting that a Kia Australia spokesperson said the facelifted Kia EV6 is expected to arrive in Australia sometime between January to March 2025, pending any delays.
As previously reported by Drive, the incoming 2025 Kia EV6 GT will have a longer driving range – up four per cent, from 342km to 355km, according to South Korean lab testing – than the current generation.
While the dual electric motors will be retained in the new model, the engine output has increased from 430kW/740Nm to 448kW/740Nm in normal driving mode.
What is the wait time for a Kia EV9?
A Kia spokesperson confirmed the Kia EV9 has an estimated wait time of two months.
In terms of pricing, the entry-level Kia EV9 Air is priced from $97,000, while the mid-spec EV9 Earth starts from $106,500, and the range-topping EV9 GT-Line has a starting price point of $121,000. All prices exclude on-road costs.
As previously reported by Drive, the next generation of the Kia EV9 GT-Line was unveiled at the 2024 Los Angeles Motor Show, which the brand claims is faster and more powerful than its current form.
Despite an increased power output of 374kW – up 32 per cent from the current GT-Line’s 283kW – the 2026 Kia EV9 GT will retain the same 99.8kWh lithium-ion battery as the present-day generation. For reference, the Kia EV9 GT-Line has a maximum WLTP range of 505km.
The post The Kia models with the shortest and longest wait times appeared first on Drive.