BUDGET: Kia ‘Good, but…’
April 22nd, 2009 by Richard Aucock
KIA MD Paul Philpott has said Alistair Darling’s 2009 Budget is ‘good – but could do better.’
Speaking about the new car scrappage scheme, he said he was pleased the Government has responded to the difficult situation car makers are in.
However, he was also surprisingly revealing, in saying that ‘I am personally disappointed that our Chancellor is only going half-way compared to other European governments.
‘The reality is that the Government is shifting a large part of the cost of this programme onto the shoulders of the manufacturers, when it is the manufacturers who are working hard night and day to deal with the effects of the economic turmoil and recession around the world.’
He didn’t dismiss the scheme. ‘I am pleased for consumers, and for our dealers, that the Chancellor has taken positive action and that he is introducing this scheme rapidly.’
However, he added, ‘the devil will be in the detail, and I am sure the SMMT will be looking for early meetings with the Treasury to discuss this.’
Kia, like many car makers, is not committing itself to the scheme just yet. ‘Until full details of the programme have been revealed, it will be impossible to say exactly what the scheme will mean for motorists scrapping a 10 year old car to buy a brand new Kia.’
Philpott did say, however, that a 1.0 Picanto could be on the road for £4195…
Scrap Scheme Now: Newspaper review
Budget 2009: Give us a hand, Darling
Scrap Scheme Now: A call to arms
Tags: Budget, Chancellor, Kia, new car scrap, scrappage
 |  |  |