Nagpur : Kia Motors, world’s 8th largest automaker shared its India business plans and expansion strategy during a press conference in Nagpur today. Mr Yong S. Kim, Executive Director and CSO, Kia Motors India and Mr. Manohar Bhat, Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing, Kia Motors India, revealed that the company recently held the world premiere of the much-awaited Seltos in Delhi on 20th June. With a target of launching a new car every six to nine months after the launch of the Seltos in India.
Staying true to its brand philosophy of ‘The Power to Surprise,’ the Kia Seltos comes not only with segment first and India first features but also with world first features too. The Kia Seltos is the first car in the segment with a heads-up-display to ensure the customer’s full attention remains on the road. The vehicle boasts hi-tech sound mood lamp that changes the lighting based on the driver’s mood, a rear share curtain to keep the rear occupants protected from the harsh rays, a surround view monitor to tackle every blind spot. Seltos also provides a concierge service on the go from its proprietary UVO app, POI push to car, air purifier on and off and comes equipped with dedicated SOS, RSA and UVO buttons on the IRVM that are always to alert the assistance services in case of emergency.
The Kia Seltos is indigenously manufactured, and oozes contemporary and stylish design with plush, spacious interiors. The vehicle boasts many world, India and segment firsts with class leading safety features, making the vehicle capable to disrupt the segment and create a niche for itself. Kia Seltos comes equipped with Smartstream, a third-generation powertrain developed for high efficiency and powerful performance. Originally slated for India, the vehicle hosts world class design, quality and features and now will also be available in global markets from the 4th quarter of 2019.
Kia aims to reach out to every possible customer and provide the best possible care for them even in the remotest corners of the country. The company plans to begin retail sales with the highest number of touchpoints for any new car entrant in India. The company will cater to its customers through 265 Customer touch points owned by Kia authorised dealer partners, spread across 160 cities. As part of the company’s customer-centric strategy, on/offline sales system will be available from day one of sales, while digitalizing the entire customer journey from sales to services, including introduction of digital showrooms.
Kia Motors made its debut in India at the Auto Expo 2018 and showcased its 16 top global line-up along with SP Concept, the most liked car at the Auto expo. The upcoming car is being manufactured in the company’s Anantapur plant will roll out in the second half of 2019 and will be equipped with world-class quality, finest design and state-of-art technology. Aimed at young-at-heart, tech-savvy buyers looking for a bold design statement, this car will provide high-tech features including 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and Sound Mood Lighting. Drawing inspiration from India and the ‘powerful’ face of India’s very own ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’, the car will come with Kia’s famous and the most distinctive feature- ‘Tiger Nose Grille’.
The Kia Seltos will be manufactured at the enormous 536-acre Anantapur Kia plant which has an annual installed capacity of producing over 300,000 vehicles and will create over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region. A US$2bn investment by Kia and its vendor partners ensures the availability of world-standard technologies and the development of high-quality local manufacturing skills. The plant is also capable of producing hybrid and electric vehicles. Kia takes immense pride in the fact that the plant has the most advanced global technology such as Robotics & Artificial Intelligence and is remarkably environment friendly with capabilities like 100% water recycling within the plant. In addition to this, the plant houses a five-acre training facility that offers a Basic Technical Course (BTC) in automobiles for skill development to provide all the skills necessary for an entry-level job on the factory floor, in the plant. The entry in Indian market will play a crucial role complementing company’s other plants in Korea, Slovakia, China, USA and Mexico.
Kia plans to expand its portfolio by launching a new car in every six to nine months, lining at least 5 vehicles by 2021. Staying true to the company’s global commitment of ‘The Power to Surprise’, Kia plans to provide experiences that go beyond expectations. The brand is deeply focusing on future mobility, design, product and capacity along with world-class vehicle maintenance and repair services facilities to create strong foundations in the country by providing the best car ownership experience to Indian customers. Since its entry in the Indian market, Kia Motors has focused on developing a strong Aftersales & Network presence in India and customer relations. To further ease the process of owning a Kia, the automaker has signed an MoU with 8 leading banks of India to provide financing solutions with attractive offers to the customers that will enhance the brand’s penetration in tier 2, 3 and 4 markets.
Globally, Kia Motors Corporation has more than doubled its sales since 2008, reporting sale of 2.8 million cars last year Aligning with the global vision of Kia Motors Corporation to launch 16 electric vehicles by 2025 and make the planet greener and cleaner for the generations to come. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state of Andhra Pradesh to collaborate on the ‘Partnership for Future Eco Mobility’ by giving four of its world class Eco fleet cars and installed a charging stations at the Andhra Pradesh secretariat. Kia vehicles are the highest quality products in the world today. Kia has surpassed all other global automobile brands sold in the USA to achieve the top ranking for four consecutive years in JD Power’s Initial Quality Study. To maintain this quality, the company is focusing on training & upskill indigenous talent in India to create highest level of localization in the products without compromising on global quality.
Design has been at the forefront of Kia’s brand philosophy and the company has proved its design prowess time and again. This year, Kia won three prestigious Red-Dot Design award for the Kia Ceed range – marking the third consecutive win and cementing Kia’s position as car design leaders in the world. Additionally, Kia’s first brand TVC for India revealed the unique elements that are instrumental in lending the inimitable design exclusive to Kia cars in a very creative manner. The brand campaign TVC has clinched the title of the single most watched ad on the video-streaming site, in India with more than 236 Mn views on YouTube and more than 300 Mn views across social media in just 50 days.
Kia has been a global custodian of sports partnering various global sporting events such as FIFA World Cup and Australian Open. The company is bringing this legacy to India by encouraging millions of sports enthusiasts in the country through various sporting partnerships such as FIFA Official Match Ball Carriers Program, Australian Open Ballkids International Program and partnership with ISL 2019 winner Bengaluru Football Club.
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