Kia Ph Announces Network Expansion, Promotions, and Shares Industry Outlook in Trying Times | Motourismo

Kia PH’s President Manny Aligada recently led a media forum series unveiling its network expansion, a surprise new model, and continued growth amid trying times.

Behind every dark cloud, they say, lies a ray of hope. The current COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world during the past few months has taken its toll on our local economy. The fear of the virus, along with the lock down, have caused general weakness of consumer confidence, as well as numerous businesses closing shop. 

This is further aggravated by the challenges facing two major contributors to the country’s economic performance, the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. These, in turn, are seen to affect economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product, which is estimated to slip to 0.6 percent from a projected 6.6 percent for 2020.

 

The media sessions organized by Kia Philippines discussed the current economic situation, its impact on the automotive industry, and how Kia intends to use its Power to Surprise to help ease its effects on the company and its customers.

 

The automotive industry in the time of COVID-19

For the automotive industry, vehicle sales declined by 52 percent year-on-year. Apart from the aforementioned factors, the cautious lending of bank institutions and dealerships challenged to generate

volume along with the burden of fixed overhead costs, are seen to dampen the industry’s overall performance.

 

There are still a few bright spots, however, that business entities who are operational can look forward to. Kia Philippines, for instance, sees various opportunities for growth and a way to contribute to the local economy.

Kia Karga's removable dividers:

 

A few bright spots

While the automaker currently sits at the 10th spot in the sales rankings, some of its vehicles are seen as being in tune with the new normal way of life. The Picanto and Soluto, for instance, are perfect for daily drives and for those looking for affordable personal transport. 

Then there is the K2500, which is ideal for delivery and shuttle services for businesses. Kia has even taken the initiative to fit its K2500 Karga with plastic dividers to enforce physical distancing measures. From now up to July 31, customers can take advantage of

either a low down payment financing scheme or huge cash discounts for these models.

 

Other Kia vehicles are also offered with these promotions and are similarly designed for their respective target audience. The adventurous who are itching to go to new places can choose between the Seltos, Sportage, and Sorento. 

Those folks who want a sensible yet stylish city car that can still hold its own on the open road can opt for the Rio Hatchback or Forte. 

Families will love the Grand Carnival, while the performance enthusiasts will marvel at what the Stinger has to offer.

 

A few surprises for the year

Besides its vehicles, Kia Philippines has a few plans lined up for its clients. Just recently, an announcement was made regarding the opening of four (4) new dealerships by the 3rd quarter of 2020. 

These include Kia Marikina, Kia Fairview, Kia Isabela, and Kia Bonifacio Global City.  This would bring Kia Philippines’ total dealer network to 34 sales and service facilities.  In addition, four more facilities are planned by end of 2020 or early 2021.  Kia intends to continue expanding its reach, way into 2021.

Promises to Care

To further boost its presence and provide better customer service that Promises to Care, all vehicles are backed by a 5-year or 160,000-km warranty* and 24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance. These will be further boosted by upcoming programs such as increasing its parts line-up by four times, and subjecting each dealer to stringent operations standards. Overall objective is to improve the customer experience from the moment they walk into the door to way after the vehicle has been delivered.

 

More unboxings lined up

Before the year ends, Kia Philippines is set to surprise with two unboxing events. The first is the launch of its Virtual Showroom. Slated for last quarter of this year, on top of the current website functions, it provides customers the opportunity to shop for a new Kia vehicle from the comfort and safety of their homes. This will

be followed by the unboxing of an all-new model, designed to cater to the needs of the Filipino motorists and to provide speedy mobility for the Filipinos, by year’s end.

 

“The coronavirus and lockdown may have taken their toll on the local and global economy. Yet, we at Kia Philippines, are confident that we will overcome these with sales and after-sales initiatives, continuous expansion of our dealer network, entering into the digital age with a virtual showroom, and an unboxing of an all-new model,” says Manny Aligada, Kia Philippines’ President. He further adds, “All these are designed to not only jumpstart our brand but the economy as well.”

 

With all these surprises, Kia Philippines not only hopes to boost its presence in the country but help uplift our countrymen’s lives with relevant products and services.

 

For more information, check Kia Philippines on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.kia.com.

Posted by Arabelle Jimenez.