NEWS

THIS week I’ve been mostly using a Kia C’eed to get around – and it’s probably a cliché to even mention it now, but I’ve been rather surprised. By that, of course, I mean surprised at just how good it is. Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter how far the brand’s come in the last [...]

KIA this week clubbed together its dealers to reveal plans for driving sales forward in a post-scrappage 2010. At a conference for the marque’s 143-strong franchise network, Kia top brass explained they wanted dealers to focus on sales processes now scrappage is coming to an end. With 50,000 Kias finding homes last year – a [...]

KIA has wowed the car industry by giving EVERY SINGLE NEW CAR a full 7 year warranty sold from today! The staggering deal instantly makes it the best new car cover offer in the industry. Previously, it was restricted to the cee’d and Sportage. But now, all Kias are getting it – including the smash [...]

ESSEX Auto Group will launch a brand new Kia Motors franchise at its Lakeside outlet, just before Christmas. The Car Dealer Magazine Eward winner starts trading with its latest addition from 21 December. Kia joins Ford and Mazda at Lakeside, and adds to the car dealers’ existing Kia relationship at Southend. It’s through this link [...]

KIA will open a flash new car dealer in Milton Keynes next month – one of its biggest UK outlets yet. The £1.5 million investment has turned the former Renault car dealer into the premises for MK Kia. MK Kia opened in Milton Keynes 30 years ago, and has held the Kia franchise since 2001. [...]

KIA is to begin repositioning itself as a more aspirational brand over the next few years, reports industry title Marketing. MD Michael Cole said it is Kia’s aim is to improve its perception amongst car buyers. By doing this, it hopes to claim 3 percent of the UK new car market by 2012. ‘We can [...]

NEW car sales for October saw more big market share increases – led by scrappage winner Hyundai. Market share for the Korean brand was up 286 percent! That’s over 100 percent MORE than sister brand Kia’s otherwise-glittering 156 percent rise. Fiat’s sales were also up 117 percent, while Nissan scored 108 percent, Suzuki 106 percent [...]

KIA has appointed a new media partner to help provide a separate image and voice to its Korean sibling Hyundai. Havas Media will begin work with Kia with at the start of 2010, in reinforcing the brand differences between Hyundai and Kia. It is a worldwide approach that replaces several existing advertising agencies, in a [...]

NEW car sales rises are being driven by small cars, reveals latest registration data from the SMMT. Supermini sales are up 47.9 percent in October – and city car sales are up an incredible 200 percent! This has seen 7 out of the top 10 best-sellers being superminis.  It also means there are some surprises. [...]

SCRAPPAGE may be reaching its final months, but this is not stopping car makers releasing special deals. Kia is the latest brand with a headline offer – a cee’d 1.4 for £7995. This deal comprises a total saving of £3900; the massive extra incentive from Kia comes despite the cee’d range recently receiving a key [...]

KIA Loughborough hosted the launch of a Matalan Christmas competition by showing a special Soul. The one-off Jeff Banks designed model will headline the fashion retailer’s ‘Unwrap a car for Christmas’ promotion. Loughborough Kia dealer principal Cliff Johnson helped kick the competition off by hosting a photo shoot of the special Soul – a car [...]

KIA has NEVER sold as many cars in a single month, as it did after recording 9772 sales in September 2009… And that’s true for any Kia car market across the whole of Europe! This earned Kia a 3.7 percent market share for the UK in September, adding to its year-to-date total share of 2.6 [...]

KIA is extending its special driving school offer, to include a wider range of models from its range. Now, the Soul joins the incentive deal offer, which gives a range of incentives to driving schools interested in buying Kias. These include: •    Free insurance for a year •    Discount fuel card •    Free bumper mouldings [...]

SEAT has signed a three-year deal to become the headline sponsor for football’s new Europa League. It’s an arrangement that’s solely to raise brand awareness, said a spokesman. The firm has conducted studies, showing that while SEAT is well recognised in Spain, brand awareness in the rest of Europe is not so good. ‘What’s the [...]

KIA UK managing director has told Car Dealer he wants to add 30 new dealers to his UK retail network. He may only have been in the job just six weeks, but Michael Cole said there are some urgent open points that need filling as he moves to increase his 140 dealers to 170. In [...]

SCRAP scheme big players Kia unveiled three new models at the Frankfurt Show, continuing its push for dominance. The manufacturer, which has taken a lion’s share of sales under the UK scrap scheme, showed an updated cee’d, a new Sorento SUV and an all-new compact MPV called the Venga. Kia president Hank Lee told press [...]

AUDI, Toyota and Kia are the best car franchises in the UK to hold, reveals the latest NFDA survey. The bi-annual car dealer satisfaction survey has just been published, with big gains for the Korean brand Kia. It’s leapt ahead of more established rivals, as dealers rate highly its advertising, sales incentives, new model introductions, [...]

KIA Regal Bromsgrove will be opening its doors for the very first time this week – covered in graffiti! But fear not – street artists actually got permission to paint the surrounding protective boarding of the new Kia car dealer… Indeed, the firm opened up the opportunity to paint it to local kids; 16 year [...]

GRAVELLS Kia has just opened the doors to its futuristic new £2m Pembrokeshire car dealer site. Manufacturer standards have dictated the design, which will also house a Renault franchise – Gravells is actually the UK’s oldest Renault car dealer. It consists of an eight-car showroom and a six-bay workshop, and is surrounded by enough space [...]

KIA franchised dealers are the sixth most satisfied in the UK, revels the results of the latest Sewells’ Survey. That’s not only a nine-place leap up the rankings, but it’s also a full 24 places higher than Kia scored in 2006! Only MINI, Lexus, BMW, Jaguar and Toyota car dealers are more content. The result [...]