GayCarBoys Talk: KIA, and Its Rise and Rise

KIA is part of the Hyundai Group, with Hyundai and Genesis, and a veritable gaggle of cool partnerships and trendy associated enterprises. They’re going bananas exploring such cool things as hydrogen fuel cells.

KIA started as a boutique brand imported by a private company in the late 80’s. The intervening years saw the parent company take on the importing, to make KIA Australia a wholly owned subsidiary.

Part of KIA’s success was a series unforgettable (for one reason or another) ad campaigns, that got into your head like a burrowing tsetse fly. They convinced buyers to shell out shekels on the “Cheap and cheerful” and lo, it was good. Remember the “keeeeee-YA” done like a COOO-EEE call? Yes, I wish I could forget it too.

The cheesy ads only seemed to make KIA more adorable, and they churned model after model that were “of their time”.

Above: This Week – 2022 KIA Sportage (video goes live 12.01am 12/11/2021)

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ABOVE: KIA: EV6, Sportage, Sorento

Then, in a single generation, we went from saying how important it was for KIA to put reversing cameras in their cars, to discussing how lovely the full width digital screen displays navigation and driving data.

We were sitting around the coffee machine the other day, pondering KIA’s future. Could KIA overtake Toyota? For the moment, Toyota is safe, but KIA is nipping at the heels of Ford, who in turn is just a fraction behind Hyundai, who is at number 3. Only Mazda and Toyota are in front of Hyundai, but for the time being, Toyota is safe.

If KIA’s gorgeous exteriors don’t know your socks off, the cosy cabins certainly will. Not content with looking good, KIA is shoehorning more gear in, just for good measure. Take new Sportage for example: It is panty-wettingly gorgeous, with a sexy cabin crammed full of tasty gadgets.

Then, there is the new EV6 that will be here in a jiff, where the bar will be raised even higher.

The turning point for KIA was the permanent 7-year warranty that materialised just over six years ago. It told buyers was the Korean car maker was prepared back their cars with a proper, unconditional promise. It transfers to new owners should you sell, and there are no tricky requirements in tiny print, down the bottom, under the dealer’s thumb.

COO, Damien Meredith, has transformed the brand with steady, consistent pricing, a solid warranty, and a carefully curated stable of offerings.

I said a decade ago, that KIA was the brand to watch. Now they’re number 5, only a few thousand cars behind number 3.

We can expect EV6 to be more than $80,000, and that will be the real test. I reckon every single EV6 will be snapped up within hours of being on sale.

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