Kia Motors a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, has been a dominant force in the global automotive market for producing premium budget friendly models. Characterised by the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille at the front, all models from the company come attached to long feature lists making them the most desirable option in the budget segment. Banking on its success in the Indian market, HMG decided to launch Kia Cars India at the start of 2019. The company made its debut in the Indian automobile market with the Seltos and in a short time, become a popular car brand on Indian roads. Kia had already become the fifth best-selling car brand, behind established brands like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra. The South Korean automaker achieved growth faster and left behind global brands like Honda, Skoda, Volkswagen, Renault, and Nissan, who have been here for a longer time. Kia car models like Sonet, Carens, and Carnival have been a roaring success in the competitive domestic market. Today, we discuss the top 5 reasons for choosing a Kia car over the other brands.
Targeting the right car segment
One of the things going in favour of Kia cars in India was the vast experience and deep research that Hyundai provided it with. Unlike other companies that try different products before finding the right foot in the market, Kia India focused all its resources in putting together SUVs to compete in the sub-compact and the compact SUV segments. It observed; that there is a market for sub-compact SUV that offers a mixture of convenience, affordability, comfort, and performance. Sensing an opportunity, Kia launched Seltos in 2019. Immediately, it outshone established rivals like the Maruti Vitara Brezza, and Hyundai Creta with 40,000 plus units sold in just four months of its launch. Soon after, the company took on the big gun, the Toyota Innova Crysta with its luxury MPV offering the Carnival. While the large MPV was not a sales success like the other models, it helped the company attract crowd from different segments and cement a permanent spot in the market.
Being different
Kia car Models like Seltos immediately stood out from the rivals in the country. All Kia cars were equipped with premium and feature-rich cabin, Bose sound system, a powerful turbocharged engine and many segment-first features. At launch, the Seltos became a trendsetter in the compact SUV segment for offering ventilated seats, heads-up display and 6-airbags. For many Indian’s Kia car models were the perfect combination of style, premium mess and power.
Robust sales network
Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors’ success in the domestic market can be attributed to their quality post-sales support. It is where Ford, General Motors, and Honda struggled despite launching exciting products. Learning from others, Kia India established an extensive dealer and service touchpoints in over 160 cities. Before Selto’s launch, dealership roadshows got the South Korean automaker’s attention much required response from the dealers. Further, AutoExpo 2018 participation helped them gain a foothold among the dealers. These initiatives helped them develop and strengthen the post-sales network and created a presence in tier-two and tier-three cities.
Kia Car Price
Following more for less philosophy, Kia car prices in India offered good value for money. Kia cars offer new features, spacious cabin and high performance at a competitive price. All the models from the brand come equipped with many segment-first features along with a long list of standard features, making them value-for-money. Currently, Kia is the only brand to offer 6-airbags as a standard fitment in the mid-size SUV segment.
BS-VI strategy
April 2020 was the deadline for the stringent BS-VI pollution vehicular norms introduction. Indian Automakers were struggling to deliver cars with upgraded engines to match the norms, but Kia India bucked the trend. Kia Seltos came with a BS-VI engine in 2019, much before rivals in the domestic market.
Conclusion
Kia’s presence has grown across multiple segments from sub-compact SUVs to premium EVs to MPV in the fast-growing Indian automobile market. Pan-India dealer network, rich combination of petrol and diesel powertrains, and innovation have established Kia as a major automobile in the Indian market.
