NEWS

KIA is now represented in Sheffield as Lookers starts trading from a new site on Saville Street East. Both Lookers and Kia have invested big in the new site, which features an 8-car showroom and extensive service facilities. It immediately becomes one of the biggest Kia dealers across the whole of Yorkshire. ‘We’ve been monitoring [...]

KIA dealer FJ Chalke helped out on this weekend’s marathon London to Paris cycle ride to boost charity. The Dorset dealer supplied a Kia Sedona crew car for the charity effort, which helped raise £3k for the British Heart Foundation. Five Dorset locals took part in the marathon, which covered 250km over three days. James [...]

KIA is recalling 6585 Picanto models to replace the fuel filler neck due to possible damage from road grit. Some leaks have already occurred, which is why the company is taking action. Dealers will be seeing owners of Picantos built between November 2009-February 2010. The 6585 total is a decent proportion of Picanto sales; 7700 [...]

KIA is planning to have Hydrogen-powered cars in UK dealer showrooms as soon as 2015. Today Car Dealer has tried one of the first models to be powered by a fuel cell from Kia– and it’s very real indeed. The maker is committed to producing 10,000 fuel cell vehicles a year by 2015 and judging [...]

KIA’S European senior vice president has admitted the maker has problems finding partners in UK cities. The notoriously difficult-to-fill sites around the UK include parts of London – in particular Croydon – the centre of Manchester and Birmingham. A number of dealers have been recruited recently though and these are in the process of being [...]

HOW do you spot a successful Korean? They’ll be the one getting out of the back of a very large saloon car! If you were wondering where the world’s stock of large luxury saloons have gone, it’s here in Korea. Car Dealer has been whisked out to the Far East for a week-long tour of [...]

IF there was any doubt that car makers were confused about which green path to take, today confirmed it. Car Dealer is currently in Korea with Kia and today the firm explained it is pushing green technology down four separate paths because it’s simply unsure of which horse to back. ‘We’re not certain which one [...]

THIS week Car Dealer has travelled to Korea with Kia to try out some as yet to be released models. The manufacturer flew us out from Heathrow last night and we’ve just landed in Seoul where we’ll be based until Friday. We’ve got a varied programme ahead of us including a look at the firm’s [...]

KIA dealers are offering customers supporting its dealers during the football World Cup the chance to win a Soul. Anyone visiting a Kia car dealer from today until 11 July will be entered into the free competition. The prize is a Kia Soul 2. Why is Kia doing it? Well, Kia and sister company Hyundai [...]

KIA buyers can now sort out insurance for their new cars through the firm’s UK car dealer network. The new offer includes free 7-day driveaway insurance for both new and used cars. This deal, arranged through Equity Direct Broking, means buyers will face no problems arranging road tax of their cars which will enable them [...]

FERRARI says it now boasts the most reassuring official used car warranty support package on the market. The firm reports it is seeing a big upturn in interest for used stock following its extended used car warranty announcement. This sees Ferraris aged up to 8 years covered by a full 2 year used car warranty [...]

KIA has signed a 5-year deal to use Infomedia’s service quote system in all its authorised car dealer service departments. Already used by UK Kia dealers, the worldwide rollout is a big statement of intended uniformity for the brand. It is, however, not alone in the move. Hyundai, Jaguar and Land Rover also stipulate the [...]

KIA’S remarkable expansion continues apace. It’s already sorted for competitive models in sectors such as the city car and family car classes. The new Sportage takes the challenge to popular cars in the compact SUV sector, and the latest Sorento offers luxury SUV motoring without the luxury SUV price tag. Now, it’s turning to other growing sectors [...]

KIA dealers are to launch a scrappage replacement scheme to save owners trading cars aged 7 years or older. The 7-year age limit will also help Kia dealers promote the Kia 7 year warranty! Savings of up to £2000 are on offer – that’s on the Kia Soul, pro cee’d, cee’d SW and cee’d hatchback. [...]

PROVEN Motor Company has taken up the Kia sales franchise after a decade of IM Group partnership. The Haslemere dealer is now to be boosted by ‘significant investment’ from both Kia and Proven. This will produce a new 12 car showroom and a modern service bay. Proof that the deal is the right one has [...]

KIA has issued a safety notice to owners for its Venga people carrier after suspending delivery to buyers. The maker has, in testing, discovered the front seatbelt can be damaged by the lower seat mounting rail in a crash. This means 450 owners who were due to take delivery of their Vengas were told they [...]

KIA is launching its new Sportage here in Geneva but doesn’t have a firm idea of when UK dealers will see it! Left-hand drive production is underway right now – but, such has been the reception of the car, right-hand drive production risks being impacted. ‘We’re currently quoting a delivery ‘range’ of between June and [...]

SCRAPPAGE key car maker players have given Car Dealer Magazine their thoughts on the Exit Phase scheme. Ford, Kia and Toyota have all offered us their views. And it is Kia that is most outspoken! ‘KMUK is somewhat disappointed,’ said a spokesman, ‘that the scrappage scheme exit plan does not properly reflect the clear view [...]

KIA is still on the hunt for new dealers in metro areas including Liverpool, Birmingham and Croydon. Michael Cole, the marque’s UK MD exclusively told Car Dealer, that these inner city areas are proving the hardest to fill – despite interest in the brand blossoming. ‘These locations typically require a large investment,’ he said. ‘But [...]

KIA managing director Michael Cole has said scrappage funds for dealers will have to be rationed. With the last portion of funds due to be divvied up between manufacturers in the dying days of the scheme, carmakers’ next hurdle is to work out how to divide those funds up between their network. Cole said: ‘It [...]