Kia Cars & SUVs with Remote Start (13 Models: New/Used)
A remote starter allows drivers to start the vehicle within an approximate distance or from the comfort of their home and warm or cool the cabin before commencing the journey.
The Kia cars and SUVs in this post can perform a remote engine start, although feature availability depends on the model year.
Do All Kias Have Remote Start?
The earliest Kia vehicles to gain remote-start functionality were the 2008 Sportage and Sorento SUVs.
Fast-forward to the latest iterations, and almost all Kia cars and SUVs can start remotely, either as a standard or optional feature.
If you’re shopping for a used car, check each Kia’s corresponding table to see which model years have the tech feature.
Kia Cars with Remote Start
#1 Kia Rio
This subcompact is Kia’s smallest car, ideal for budget-minded drivers who need to get from A to B economically.
Unfortunately, none of the Kia Rio model years can start its engine remotely.
#2 Kia Forte
Kia Forte is one of the most feature-packed options in the subcompact car segment.
The second-gen Kia Forte, made from 2014 to 2018, had a remote engine starter as optional equipment across the range; pre-2014 models did not.
Depending on the model year, every Kia Forte from 2019 to 2021 had remote-start, including LXS, GT, and GT-Line.
The remote start functionality became standard in the 2022 and 2023 Kia Forte sedan, but only for GT and GT-Line in 2022 and GT in 2023.
#3 Kia Optima
Kia ceased production of the midsize Optima sedan after 2020.
Every base LX of the Kia Optima from 2009 to 2013 and 2016 to 2020 had available remote-start functionality.
While the 2009 and 2010 Kia Optima have remote-start ability across the range, the 2011 to 2013 models only had it in the base LX.
The functionality was absent in the 2014 and pre-2009 Optima sedans.
The 2015 Kia Optima stands out as the only year when most trims can start remotely, including EX, SX, SX Turbo, and Limited.
The Optima’s final four production years saw Kia essentially limiting the remote-start capability to the base LX model, with the feature available as an option.
#4 Kia K5
K5 replaced the Optima in 2021, embodying considerable improvements over its predecessor.
Nearly every Kia K5 sedan from 2021 to 2023 can perform the remote start function, including LXS, GT-Line, EX, and GT.
The Kia K5 LX has the remote start feature as optional in 2021 and with an installed port in 2022.
#5 Kia Stinger
Kia Stinger is the marque’s most premium and sportiest sedan.
Every Kia Stinger manufactured in 2022 and 2023 gets the remote-start capability, including the GT-Line, GT1, and GT2.
Older Kia Stingers from 2018 to 2021 lacked the ability to start the engine remotely.
Kia SUVs with Remote Start
#6 Kia Soul
Kia Soul is one of the roomier extra-small crossovers with its boxy design.
While the older Kia Soul subcompacts cannot start remotely, the newer models from 2020 onwards get the convenience feature as optional, including the LX, S, X-Line, and GT-Line.
Specifically, the Kia Soul EX and Turbo of 2021 and 2022 had the feature as standard.
#7 Kia Seltos
The Seltos is Kia’s other and newer extra-small SUV.
Except for the base LX, Kia Seltos’s upper trims picked up remote-start capability.
#8 Kia Niro
Kia Niro is a small SUV with a hybrid powertrain.
Although the tech feature was absent in 2020 and older models, the 2021 and newer Kia Niro crossovers have had standard remote-start functionality as standard, leaving only the base LX without it.
#9 Kia Sportage
The two-row Sportage has long served Kia as the automaker’s best-selling compact SUV, spanning five generations.
Except for 2011, most 2008 to 2019 Kia Sportage models had remote-start as an optional feature, including the EX and entry-level LX.
Similarly, nearly every Kia Sportage made in 2022 or later has available remote engine start functionality.
#10 Kia Sorento
Three-row small SUVs are few, and the Sorento is a top pick among them.
The earliest Kia Sorentos to have a remote start functionality are the 2008 and 2009 models.
After the second generation debuted, most 2011 to 2015 Sorento models had remote-start in the entry-level trim.
As the sports utility moved into its third generation, the 2016 to 2020 Kia Sorento maintained its optional remote-start feature in its most affordable trims.
2021 to 2023 Kia Sorento SUVs are the best-equipped in remote engine start, with nearly every model sporting the feature as standard equipment.
#11 Kia Telluride
Few midsize three-row SUVs are as impressive as Telluride in overall product quality, ride comfort, and feature offerings.
Since its debut, every Kia Telluride SUV from 2020 to the latest iteration has come with a remote-start capability, including the base LX, S, EX, SX, and SX Prestige.
All three rows offer plenty of space to stretch, making the Telluride the perfect vehicle for larger families.
Kia Electric Vehicles with Remote Start
#12 Kia EV6
Kia introduced its first electric car on a purely-EV architecture, the EV6 SUV, in 2022.
Remote start has been standard in every Kia EV6 since 2022, so opting for a model with this function is straightforward.
However, as the vehicle doesn’t have an internal combustion engine, you’re essentially turning on the heater or AC through the Kia Connect app with an active subscription.
#13 Kia Niro EV
This EV bases on the gas-powered Niro.
Although 2019 saw Kia introduce the Niro EV, the electric SUV didn’t get standard remote-start until 2021, an offering that has remained until the latest iteration.
Alternative Makes & Models with Remote Start
Several mainstream car manufacturers produce vehicles that can start remotely, and they include:
- Toyota cars with remote start.
- Honda cars with remote start.
- Mazda cars with remote start.
- Subaru cars with remote start.
- Nissan cars with remote start.
- Hyundai cars with remote start.
- Volkswagen cars with remote start.
- Ford vehicles with remote start.
- Chevy vehicles with remote start.
- Jeep SUVs with remote start.
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