Kia vs Toyota: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Kia reported ~$81B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$5.4B of net income. Toyota reported ~$339.6B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$25.8B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Kia
Kia's revenue has risen every year since 2020: from ~$49.6 billion (KRW 69.9 trillion) in 2021 to ~$76.3 billion (KRW 107.4 trillion) in 2024 and a record ~$81 billion (KRW 114.1 trillion) in 2025 (+6.2%). Profit has not kept up. Operating profit fell 28.3% in 2025 to ~$6.45 billion (KRW 9.08 trillion), and the margin dropped from 11.8% to 8.0% as US tariffs and incentives ate into earnings. Net profit was about $5.36 billion (KRW 7.55 trillion). The squeeze continued into 2026. Q1 revenue was a record ~$20.9 billion (KRW 29.50 trillion) (+5.3%), but operating profit fell 26.7% to ~$1.57 billion (KRW 2.21 trillion). Q2 revenue reached ~$23.5 billion (KRW 33.04 trillion) (+12.6%) while operating profit fell 4.9% to ~$1.87 billion (KRW 2.63 trillion). The shares dropped about 13% on the day of the Q2 results. Shareholder returns are still high: the 2025 dividend was KRW 6,800 per share, a 35% consolidated payout ratio, and Kia has been cancelling treasury shares, cutting issued shares from 405.4 million in 2022 to 390.4 million at the end of 2025.
Toyota
Toyota's fiscal 2026 showed record revenue alongside sharply lower profit. Sales revenues reached ~$340 billion (¥50.68 trillion) while operating margin narrowed to about 7.4% from 10.0% a year earlier, mostly because of roughly $9.25 billion (¥1.38 trillion) in U.S. tariff costs. North America swung to a much weaker profit, Japan remained the largest profit contributor, and financial services kept growing. For fiscal 2027, Toyota's August 2026 forecast calls for ~$362 billion (¥54.0 trillion) in revenue, ~$22.8 billion (¥3.4 trillion) in operating income and ~$21.8 billion (¥3.25 trillion) in net income, assuming 160 yen per dollar.
Revenue and profit by year
Kia
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$81B | ~$5.4B | 6.6% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$76.3B | ~$6.9B | 9.1% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$70.9B | ~$6.2B | 8.8% | +15.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$61.5B | ~$3.8B | 6.2% | +23.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$49.6B | ~$3.4B | 6.8% | — | Source |
Toyota
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$339.6B | ~$25.8B | 7.6% | +5.5% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$321.8B | ~$31.9B | 9.9% | +6.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$302.1B | ~$33.1B | 11.0% | +21.4% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$248.9B | ~$16.4B | 6.6% | +18.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$210.2B | ~$19.1B | 9.1% | +15.3% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$182.3B | ~$15B | 8.3% | -9.1% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$200.5B | ~$13.9B | 6.9% | -1.0% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$202.5B | ~$12.6B | 6.2% | +2.9% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$196.8B | ~$16.7B | 8.5% | +6.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$184.9B | ~$12.3B | 6.6% | -2.8% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$190.3B | ~$15.5B | 8.1% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Kia
- Global Vehicle Sales
primary revenue source
Kia generates most revenue from selling SUVs, passenger cars, hybrids, EVs, and commercial vehicles through regional subsidiaries, importers, dealers, and fleet channels.
- Parts, Service, and Accessories
recurring support revenue
Genuine parts, aftersales service, accessories, and warranty-related activity provide higher-repeat revenue tied to Kia's installed vehicle base.
- Future Mobility and PBVs
emerging growth area
Dedicated EVs, software-defined vehicles, purpose-built vehicles, and connected services support Kia's longer-term mobility strategy.
Toyota
- Automotive~89%
Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino vehicles, plus parts and service
- Financial services~9%
Retail loans, leases and dealer financing
- All other~2%
Housing-related, telecommunications and other businesses
Business model and strategy
Kia
How it makes money
Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. SUVs and RVs such as the Sportage, Sorento, Seltos, Carnival and Telluride make up most of the mix and earn more per unit than small sedans.
Growth strategy
Kia's current strategy, set out at the 2026 CEO Investor Day, uses several powertrains instead of only EVs. It plans to grow EVs (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9 and later models) and hybrids together, add a PBV line of modular electric vans starting with the PV5, and build up software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving and robotics as longer-term businesses.
Competitive advantage
Kia's main advantages are its scale inside Hyundai Motor Group and the way it can switch powertrains easily. Sharing platforms, the E-GMP 800V EV architecture, batteries, chips and logistics (Hyundai Glovis) with Hyundai lowers development and purchasing costs. Factories in Korea, the US (Georgia), Mexico, Slovakia and India let Kia shift production between combustion, hybrid and electric models.
Toyota
How it makes money
Toyota makes most of its money building and selling vehicles under the Toyota and Lexus brands (plus Daihatsu and Hino), led by high-volume models such as the RAV4, Corolla, Camry and Hilux. A large financial services arm earns interest and lease income on loans and leases to Toyota buyers and dealers, and parts, service and other value-chain businesses add recurring revenue from the installed base of vehicles.
Growth strategy
Toyota's strategy centers on hybrid leadership, battery EV scaling, software improvement, localized manufacturing, Lexus and truck/SUV profitability, financial services, and disciplined capital allocation.
Competitive advantage
Toyota's advantage is manufacturing discipline, hybrid technology, global supplier relationships, brand trust, reliability, and scale. Those strengths are durable, but they must be paired with faster software and EV execution.
Questions about Kia vs Toyota
Which company has higher revenue — Kia Corporation or Toyota Motor Corporation?
Kia Corporation reported ~$81B (FY2025), while Toyota Motor Corporation reported ~$339.6B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Toyota Motor Corporation is the larger business, with Kia Corporation reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Kia Corporation vs Toyota Motor Corporation?
Kia Corporation's market capitalisation stands at $32.4B, while Toyota Motor Corporation's is $258.0B. Toyota Motor Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Kia Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — Kia Corporation or Toyota Motor Corporation?
Kia Corporation generates $1.52M / employee in revenue per employee, while Toyota Motor Corporation generates $905k / employee. Kia Corporation shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Kia Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation make money?
Kia Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Kia Corporation: Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. Toyota Motor Corporation: Toyota makes most of its money building and selling vehicles under the Toyota and Lexus brands (plus Daihatsu and Hino), led by high-volume models such as the RAV4, Corolla, Camry and Hilux.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Kia Corporation or Toyota Motor Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Kia Corporation trades at 0.4x P/S and Toyota Motor Corporation at 0.8x P/S. Toyota Motor Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Kia Corporation. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Kia Corporation bigger than Toyota Motor Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Toyota Motor Corporation (~$339.6B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Kia Corporation (~$81B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Kia vs Toyota overview