Kia Says Consider Value, Not Just Price in Buying a New Car

It’s no secret that in the new normal, people may start to look at private car ownership over taking public transportation. For new car buyers, they must be reminded to look beyond the price tag, and instead focus on value; this is where the Kia Soluto sedan shines.

While the Soluto may be affordable, it doesn’t scrimp on features and is designed to make life less stressful for those who’re constantly on the go. The 1.4-liter Kappa inline-4 engine with Dual CVVT (Continuous Variable Valve Timing) puts out 95 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 132 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed AT, it balances power and fuel efficiency—perfect for those who need a car that does both city and highway drives.

Whether long or short jaunts though, it’s more relaxing with the Soluto’s standard 6-speaker audio system. A 7-inch touchscreen infotainment with Bluetooth device pairing as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes standard allowing the occupants to stay connected even on the move.

Apart from being free from distracted driving, driver and passengers are given peace of mind thanks to safety features like rear parking sensors (for the EX) and a standard reverse camera—amenities that go a long way in easing stress.

As a brand, Kia’s received recognition for design, safety, quality, and performance from the likes of JD Power, Interbrands (Best Global Brands 2019), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the World Car of the Year awards. With the Ayala-owned AC Motors backing it up locally, the Kia Soluto comes with a 5-year or 100,000-kilometer warranty and 24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance. It’s certainly a stylish and feature-packed ride that doesn’t break the bank.

The Soluto starts at just P 665,000 and tops out at P 755,000.

Kia PH Just Made the Sportage More Affordable than the Seltos

As auto dealer operations begin to adjust to the new normal, Kia Philippines is giving us a glimpse of what sort of offers can be had post ECQ.

The Deals for You promo is now ongoing at all Kia dealerships open in General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas, and will be available in other dealerships as well once the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) is lifted.

The Deals for You promo gets buyers the following discounts:

• Kia Sorento EX 4x2 – P 80,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 1,815,000)
• Kia Grand Carnival LX 11-seater – P 100,000 cash discount (effective SRP: 1,895,000)
• Kia Sportage LX Gas – P 100,000 cash discount (effective SRP: 1,190,000) or P 1,000 all-in downpayment
• Kia Rio HB – P 50,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 870,000)
• Kia Forte LX AT – P 50,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 1,045,000)
• Kia Picanto LX MT – P 30,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 560,000)
• Kia Soluto LX MT – P 13,655 low monthly or P 26,000 all-in downpayment

On top of these deals, reserve any Kia vehicle within the month, and you’ll stand to get a free Blaupunkt safety and security package. This includes the Blaupunkt portable tire inflator, and the Blaupunkt DP 2.1 dash cam.

With strict social distancing requirements in place, interested buyers can get a quote directly from Kia Philippines’s official website. Customers are also encouraged to call or set an appointment with their preferred Kia dealer for any sales or service inquiries.

UPDATED: Kia PH to Open 6 Dealerships Starting Monday

UPDATE: The count is up to 7 open dealers (05/04).

Kia Philippines is preparing to re-open dealer operations once the government lifts the quarantine this May. The Ayala-owned Korean carmaker’s Philippine subsidiary is also putting in place measures that will ensure the health and safety of its employees, business partners, customers, and the general public.

“Kia Philippines completely supports our national government’s effort to stop the spread of the virus with the extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine at critical locations until May 15, and with other areas placed under General Community Quarantine after April 30. Some dealers may resume operations but taking into account the adjustments needed to adhere to the ‘new normal’ of conducting business and person-to-person interaction,” said Manny Aligada, President of Kia Philippines.

The Kia Philippines’ Post-ECQ Dealer Preparation Guidelines involve a thorough checklist of what items and places should be cleaned, along with the type of cleaning agents and materials to be used. It covers procedures from the vehicles (display, test drive, and serviced) to the offices and customer and reception areas.

A 9-Step Guide to Facility Preparation was issued before allowing employees to report for work. This involved disinfecting all areas and maintaining regular sanitation practices, posting proper markings for physical distancing (about two meters), installing sanitizing and hand washing solutions at strategic locations, ensuring that all areas were properly ventilated, among other guidelines.

Moreover, Kia Philippines provided a 9-Step Guide for Employee Preparation which included assigning a Dealer Health and Safety representative to check on employees’ health with COVID-19 rapid test kits for administration to employees every two weeks, providing shuttle services or arrangement of car pools to avoid taking public transportation, subjecting each one to a thermal scan before entry and a ‘no mask, no entry policy,’ encouraging them to avoid handing out business cards or any material that may be a source of virus, among other regulations. The automaker will also be implementing flexible working hours, shifting or skeletal workforce and staggered break time schedules to keep the number of people in the office to a minimum.

Buying a Kia will still involve that personal touch, albeit with a few preventive measures. Customers who wish to view a unit of the vehicle they’re considering are advised to set an appointment with their Sales Consultant beforehand so as to avoid a large number of people in showroom at a given time. Once they arrive at the showroom, clients must be wearing a face mask, observe sanitation measures and physical distancing of two meters. For those who would like to test drive, all vehicles will be fully sanitized inside and out after each use and are guaranteed to be safe.

Even after the sale has been made, Kia still Promises to Care with its new normal way of after-sales operations by setting service appointments, observing physical distancing, wearing of personal protective gears by Service Advisors and personnel, and disinfection of all tools used and the vehicles before and after being serviced. All serviced vehicles will undergo the same quality inspection and test drive as needed but customers may expect delays as the dealership prioritizes health and safety in its operations.

Six (6) seven (7) Kia dealers in the Visayas and Mindanao will resume its operations starting May 04, 2020, from Mondays to Saturdays:

• Kia Dumaguete (8 AM to 5 PM)
• Kia Leyte (8 AM to 5 PM)
• Kia General Santos (8 AM to 5 PM)
• Kia Ozamiz (8 AM to 5 PM)
• Kia Cagayan de Oro (9 AM to 4 PM)
• Kia Iligan (9 AM to 4 PM)
• Kia Butuan (9 AM to 5 PM)

Kia PH to Start Offering Free 24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance

Kia Philippines shows its support to the Filipino people during this trying period by offering customer assistance programs in line with its Promise to Care slogan.

Putting this slogan into action, Kia Philippines is now offering free 24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance. The program is free for all Kia owners who bought their Kia from March 1, 2016 onwards.

By availing of this service, one can get such benefits as:

• Emergency towing
• Minor Onsite Repair
• Personal Assistance
• Medical Assistance
• Information Service

To avail of the 24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance, customers are required to answer an online form that will be posted at Kia Philippines Facebook page. They can also take advantage of the service by contacting their nearest authorized dealership after the quarantine period.

Meanwhile, customers with vehicle Warranty Coverage expiring during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period will be given a 30-day extension. This will take effect once the ECQ has been lifted. Vehicles that are due for Preventive Maintenance Service will also be granted a 15-day extension, also effective from the day of the ECQ lifting.

To qualify for the Warranty and PMS extension, one must comply with the Terms and Conditions set by Kia Philippines. Customers may contact their nearest Kia dealership to inquire about the Warranty and Service Extension and schedule a service appointment once the ECQ has passed.

Suzuki and Kia are Offering Extended Warranty, PMS Coverage

Suzuki and Kia have now joined other carmakers in offering extended warranty coverage and preventive maintenance service grace period in light of the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the Philippines.

In accordance with the Philippine government direction to mitigate COVID-19, Suzuki Philippines has ordered all its dealerships—automobile, motorcycle, and marine products to suspend its operations under further notice.

In light of that decision, the Japanese carmaker is extending warranties expiring during the period of Enhanced Community Quarantine by three months granted that owners follow the Suzuki standard warranty policy. This covers motorcycle, automobile, and marine product customers. For units due for PMS during the quarantine period, Suzuki Philippines is likewise granting a special servicing extension of three months.

Meanwhile, Kia’s new distributor, Ayala Automotive is offering a 30-day extension after the lifting of the Enhanced Community Quarantine for expiring warranties, while PMS grace periods are extended by 15 days.

Ex-BMW Guy is Kia's New Interior Design Chief

Another key appointment over at Kia is Jochen Paesen who will now serve as Vice President of the carmaker’s Interior Design Group. Paesen will be based at the Kia Design Center in Namyang, Korea and will report to Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Center.

Paesen will oversee the development of the brand’s future interior design. In particular, his presence will strengthen the brand’s capabilities in interior design for a range of future electric and electrified vehicles. The appointment is part of Kia’s wider efforts to capitalize on the design opportunities presented by electrification.

He brings with him almost two decades of experience leading major interior design projects across volume, premium and start-up brands. His most recent role was Senior Design Director for Interior Design at NIO, where he led a global team of designers in Munich, Germany, and established an interior identity for the brand prior to its market entry. He previously spent much of his career at BMW Group, and was credited with designing the 2009 BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car and the BMW i8 Roadster. He also worked alongside Mr. Habib on a number of design projects in the early stages of his career.

The Kia Design Center in Namyang, Korea is at the heart of Kia’s global design network. Overseeing all aspects of the brand’s designs, from conceptualization and modelling to styling and development of color and materials, the design headquarters works closely with the company’s regional design centers in China, Europe, and the U.S.

Kia Appoints New President to Accelerate EV, Self-Driving Car Efforts

Kia Motors Corporation will have a new president. Ho-sung Song, currently Kia’s Head of Global Operations Division will take over on April 1.

In his new capacity, Mr. Song will spearhead the advancement of “Plan S,” the company’s mid- to long-term strategy aimed at progressively establishing a leadership position in the future automotive industry. The plan includes a shift away from traditional internal combustion powered vehicles to pure electric ones as well as strides in autonomous driving technology.

Part of Kia’s concrete goals under “Plan S” is to have a full line-up of 11 battery electric vehicles by 2025, achieve a 6.6 percent of the global EV market (excluding China), while also having 25 percent of its global sales from eco-friendly vehicles.

Kia says Mr. Song’s extensive experience across the automotive value chain as well as his expertise in overseas operations will be tremendous assets in the company’s transition to future businesses.

Prior to his current position as Head of Global Operations, Mr. Song has been successful in a wide array of leadership roles, ranging from President of Kia Motors Europe, and Head of Kia Motors Corporation Export Planning Group.

Mr. Song will replace Han-woo Park who will stay on in an advisory role within Kia. Park may possibly get the role of CEO in the automaker.

Kia PH Extends Anniversary Blowout Promo

Kia Philippines continues its first anniversary celebration by extending its anniversary blowout promo until March 31, 2020.

Kia’s way of saying, “thank you” to its loyal patrons, it gives buyers the chance to enjoy low downpayment and low monthly payment schemes offered by the AC Motors-owned carmaker.

The Kia Sportage LX Gas, for instance, can still be availed of for just P 1,000 all-in low downpayment and P 24,488 per month for 60 months. In addition, zero interest plans are also available for the Sorento, Stinger, Forte, and Carnival.

Customers may inquire about the promo at the nearest Kia dealership in their area.

To make it a lot easier for more Filipinos to avail of these cool anniversary deals, Kia Philippines will also embark on a mall tour at select Ayala and SM Malls this March:

• SM Pampanga, Pampanga - March 9 to 15
• SM Megamall, Mandaluyong - March 19 to 25
• Glorietta 2, Makati - March 27-29

All-in downpayment offers are available exclusively through BPI Family Savings Bank. Other financing packages can be availed through other partner banks namely BDO Unibank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), EastWest Bank, Chinabank Savings, PNB Savings, Security Bank, and PSBank.

Hyundai and Kias Will Shift, Brake Less Thanks to Big Data

Hyundai Motor Group is harnessing the power of big data to rid the world of needless gear shifting. Called Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Connected Shift System, it will predictively shift gears after identifying road and traffic conditions ahead.

Currently, gearboxes shift gears depending on a driver’s preference (or in the case of Rolls-Royce, GPS information as well). However, Hyundai’s system will be the first to consider road and traffic conditions as well.

The ICT Connected Shift System uses intelligent software in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) that collects and interprets real-time input from technologies such as the GPS navigation as well as the car’s own cameras and radar. The 3D navigation input includes elevation, gradient, curvature, and a variety of road events as well as current traffic conditions. Radar detects the speed and distance between the vehicle and others, and a forward-looking camera provides lane information.

Using all of these inputs, the TCU predicts the optimal shift scenario for real-time driving situations and will shift the gears accordingly. For example, when a relatively long slow down is expected and radar detects no speed irregularities with the car ahead, the transmission clutch temporarily switches to neutral mode to improve fuel efficiency.

When Hyundai and Kia tested a vehicle with an ICT Connected Shift System on a heavily curved road, the frequency of shifts in cornering was reduced by approximately 43 percent compared to vehicles without the system. Accordingly, the system also reduced the frequency of brake operation by approximately 11 percent, thereby minimizing driving fatigue and brake wear.

When rapid acceleration was required to enter a highway, the driving mode automatically switched to Sport Mode at the merge, making it easier to join the traffic flow. After merging with traffic, the vehicle automatically returned to its original driving mode, enabling safe and efficient driving.

In addition, the engine brakes were automatically applied upon release of the accelerator pedal by determining speed bumps, downhill slopes, and location of the speed limit change on the road. The changes in distance from the front car were detected by the front radar to adjust appropriate transmission gear automatically, which improved driving quality.

Hyundai and Kia are also planning to further develop the ICT Connected Shift System that can communicate with traffic signals based on LTE or 5G communication to further refine gear-shift control.

Plans are already underway to deploy them in future Hyundai and Kia models, and the company filed around 40 major patents both in South Korea and abroad.

Kia PH President Says 2019 Sales Wasn't a Fluke

In their first full year as the distributors of Kia, AC Motors, a wholly-owned company of Ayala Corporation saw its sales rise to 5,019 units compared to 2,238 units in 2018. The 124 percent increase is, undoubtedly, spectacular, but still a far cry from the projected 10,000-unit per annum sales they mentioned at the start of 2019.

According to Manny Aligada, President of KP Motors Corporation, the newly-formed company within AC Motors that now distributes Kia, the brand experienced some unexpected head winds. Nonetheless, he praises his team for battening down the hatches to produce a good full-year result.

When Ayala took over the ailing Korean brand from its previous distributor, it must be recalled that Mr. Aligada said that his priority lay in strengthening their relationship with both banking and dealer partners.

The first part, he says, has been accomplished. This has helped Kia tap into a broader market where a majority opt for financing over straight cash transactions. This has helped Kia offer competitive low all-in downpayment schemes at par, or even better than what’s currently in the market.

The second part, he says, admittedly is where they’ve encountered some difficulties. Throughout their first year, Mr. Aligada took it upon himself to build a stronger, more personal bond with their dealer partners. With the distributorship changing hands, some dealers opted not to renew their respective franchises. The decision of these dealers to split was painful for Kia, so now the task is to once again strengthen the nationwide dealer network. This is the focus of his team in 2020.

Once this is done, Kia’s progress will no doubt accelerate says Mr. Aligada.

Together with products that compete in the high growth segments of the Philippine automotive industry (except pickup trucks), Mr. Aligada is confident that Kia’s 5,000-unit 2019 performance wasn’t a fluke. Now, if the performance of the Soluto and the Seltos are any indication, things are on the right track. The Soluto’s full-year 2019 performance stands at 2,579 units sold, while the Seltos, despite being launched just last November, managed to move 324 examples.

Kia Philippines 2019 Sales (% of Total Sales)

• Kia Soluto / Sub-compact Sedan: 2,579 (51.4 percent)
• Kia K2500 /Light-duty Truck: 1,060 (21.1 percent)
• Kia Carnival / Medium MPV: 637 (12.7 percent)
• Kia Seltos / Sub-compact SUV: 324 (6.5 percent)
• Kia Picanto / Sub-compact Hatchback: 205 (4.1 percent)
• Kia Sportage / Compact SUV: 73 (1.5 percent)
• Kia Sorento / Mid-sized SUV: 48 (1.0 percent)
• Kia Rio Hatchback / Sub-compact Hatchback: 32 (0.6 percent)
• Kia Soul / Sub-compact SUV: 32 (0.6 percent)
• Kia Stinger / Executive Sedan: 22 (0.4 percent)
• Kia Forte / Compact Sedan: 7 (0.1 percent)

Drive Home a Brand-New Kia with as Little as P 1,000 Downpayment

As Kia Philippines celebrates its first anniversary under AC Industrials, an Ayala company, the Korean carmaker’s Philippine arm treats its existing and potential customers to its Anniversary Blowout promo.

Buyers can drive home a Kia Sportage LX Gas with the lowest all-in downpayment offer of just P 1,000 and a monthly amortization of P 26,488. They may avail of an all-in downpayment plan on all variants of the Picanto, Soluto, Rio Hatchback, Forte, Seltos, Sorento, Grand Carnival, and the K2500. Clients may also avail of low monthly amortization with 0 interest plans of up to 24 months on select models.

Buyers can choose from the following offers:

“Each Kia vehicle not only comes with either an all-in downpayment option, low monthly payment plans or a zero interest scheme but is also covered by a 5-year/160,000-km warranty. This is our way of showing our gratitude to our valued existing and potential customers for helping us achieve a 124 percent sales growth in 2019. It is also our way of continuously showing our Power to Surprise,” says Manny Aligada, President of Kia Philippines.

All-in downpayment offers are available exclusively through BPI Family Savings Bank. Other financing packages can be availed through other partner banks BDO Unibank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), EastWest Bank, Chinabank Savings, PNB Savings, Security Bank, and PSBank

The Kia Anniversary Blowout promo is ongoing until February 29, 2020 at all Kia dealers nationwide.

Kia's Making Another SUV and This One's Smaller Than the Seltos

Kia is readying its own answer to the Ford EcoSport and Hyundai Venue. Made first for the Indian market, it’ll be making its worldwide debut (albeit in concept form) at the upcoming New Delhi Auto Expo this February.

Not much is known officially yet about Kia’s new cub-compact SUV except that it’s “a testimony of Kia’s focus on consumer-insight driven product innovation and orientation.” That said, it’s said to share its underpinnings with its corporate sibling, the Hyundai Venue.

With India its primary target market, it’ll be a sub-4-meter SUV to meet regulation requirements there. It could easily share the Venue’s engine range too: an 83-horsepower 1.2-liter or a 120-horsepower turbocharged 1.0-liter. As it makes its way out of the Indian subcontinent though, expect it to gain a 121-horsepower 1.6-liter engine as well.

Based on the sketches, this Kia’s not simple a badge job. It’ll gain its own unique exterior featuring the Tiger Nose upfront, black cladding running across the length of the car, a “floating roof” design, and heckblende taillights at the back. It’s also ditching Hyundai’s split headlamp design for a more traditional setup.

Kia Donates 10 K2500 Kargo Units for Taal Relief Efforts

AC Motors together with the Ayala Foundation mobilized in carrying relief goods in a convoy of 30 vehicles from brands Volkswagen, Maxus, KTM, Honda, and Isuzu.

Opting to cancel its annual media thanksgiving event, AC Motors reallocated the funds to procure emergency goods such as blankets, mattresses, sleeping mats, slippers, towels, and other hygiene products.

Part of the delivery convoy were 10 brand-new KIA K2500 Kargo vehicles which were turned over to the Batangas provincial government for deployment to evacuation sites hat need them the most. To date, three of the vehicles have already been dispatched to the municipalities of San Nicolas, San Luis and Mataas Na Kahoy.

AC Motors, a part of the Ayala Group of the Companies remains alert for the imminent eruption of Taal Volcano, and continues to work with relevant LGUs to anticipate and respond to the urgent needs of the displaced communities.

Kia Philippine Sales Soar 124 Percent in 2019

A year after the Kia brand’s re-launch under Ayala Corporation, the Korean carmaker soared reporting a 124 percent year-on-year growth.

Driving the strong performance were the Soluto sub-compact sedan, the K2500 light-duty truck, the Grand Carnival minivan, and the newly-launched Seltos sub-compact crossover. The Soluto led the increase, capturing 51 percent of sales volume, followed by the K2500 with 21 percent, Grand Carnival with 13 percent, and 7 percent for the Seltos.

The Stinger, Sorento, Sportage, Forte, Rio and Picanto complete the entire Kia line-up that sold a total of 5,019 vehicles in 2019—a 124 percent jump from the 2,238 vehicles sold during the previous year.

“We are pleased with the strong performance of Kia Philippines in 2019,” expressed Manny Aligada, President of Kia Philippines.  “As we enter 2020, Kia Philippines looks forward to surpassing its record with new vehicle introductions, the opening of new dealerships, and better aftersales services,” Aligada added.

Hyundai and Kia Will Use Virtual Reality to Cut Down Development Time

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation have debuted a new virtual reality (VR) design evaluation system at the brands’ global design headquarters. The new system, introduced to the Namyang Research and Development Center in South Korea, demonstrates a heightened focus on enhancing vehicle development processes through the implementation of VR technology.

Hyundai and Kia displayed how new VR technology will be utilized by both brands in future. The technology uses several development applications, enabling teams of designers and engineers to carry out vehicle design quality assessments and development verification processes.

Through the complete implementation of the virtual development processes throughout R&D and pre-production stages, Hyundai and Kia anticipates a 20 percent reduction in vehicle development times and a 15 percent reduction in annual development costs.

In addition to reducing development costs, these new virtual technologies are expected to increase profitability and trigger a cycle of continuously increasing R&D investment for Hyundai and Kia.

VR headsets allow the brands’ vehicle designers and engineers to virtually enter developmental simulations, with 36 motion tracking sensors detecting and tracking the locations and movement of all users, enabling each to participate accurately in real time. The new VR design evaluation system can currently support up to 20 simultaneous users, enabling greater cross-team collaboration than ever before.

As a result, the new cutting-edge facility allows the designers from each brand to more efficiently review a multitude of design concepts earlier in the developmental process and in ways that were previously physically impossible. The system simulates interior and exterior design elements, lighting, colors and materials, and even virtual environments themselves.

Additionally, plans to establish remote VR design assessment capabilities will enable real-time virtual collaboration between each brand’s design centers in Europe, America, China and India, along with an enhanced virtual development process through the implementation of AR (Augmented Reality), among other technology.

How Do You Like Kia's New Logo?

It looks like Kia is ready to project a brand-new image. And applications filed with the Korean trademark office reveals that the carmaker is ready to shed its rounded logo for one that’s much sleeker and modern.

The new logo, filed with the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) comes in both red and black colors. The new logo, while still spelling out “Kia,” features a strong triangular motif with all the letters connected.

The new logo was already seen in public when it appeared on the Imagine by Kia Concept at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. However, in that application, it’s slightly different because the letters were kept apart, while on the caps and steering wheel, they are joined up with thin, horizontal lines.

The current logo has been in use since the 1990s which explains why now is the right time to modernize it.

Are you a fan of the new Kia logo, or you prefer the old one?

Kia Philippines Assures of Zero Wait for All-New Seltos SUV

Thinking of getting a Kia Seltos? Well, there’s one less thing you need to worry about: waiting time. Bullish on the prospects of their new global sub-compact crossover, Kia Philippines says that more than a hundred Seltos units have landed, cleared port, and should be making their way to dealers nationwide in time for its official November debut.

The photos sent by Kia Philippines is our first look at how the Philippine models are speced. They look to be the top-of-the-line P 1.498 million SX variant, and with that looks to come with full LED headlights and LED daytime running lights that extend to the grille (the Seltos’s defining design trademark). It looks also to sport the GT-Line’s 18-inch wheels (minus the red center cap), and an available two-tone roof.

Kia Philippines also tried hiding the lower-end LX and EX models by putting them in the background, but try as they may, look closely and you’ll be able to make them out. The red unit in the photos is most likely the base LX and with that it loses the fog lights and side mirror-mounted turn signal lights. They also appear to have dropped the roof rails on this variant, too. Surprisingly though, the wheels look to be of the same design and size (18-inch) as the SX variant.

Among the confirmed features on the Kia Seltos are:

• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Rear view camera with guidelines
• Cruise control (EX/SX only)
• Smart Entry with Push-Start (SX only)
• LED Headlights (SX only)
• 6 SRS airbags (SX only)

Celebrating the arrival of the Seltos, Kia dealerships are offering a P 50,000 discount on all reservations done before November 6, 2019. This drops the Seltos’s price to P 1,048,000 for the LX, P 1,148,000 for the EX, and P 1,448,000 for the SX.

Another batch of Seltos SUVs is making its way from Korea and should arrive in the Philippines also before its November launch.

Hyundai Will Cuddle You with Center Side Airbags

If seven airbags weren’t enough, Hyundai Motor Group—the parent company behind Hyundai and Kia has found a way to squeeze at least one more with the announcement that they’ve been developing center side airbags.

Though they sort of look like cuddle pillows, Hyundai says they do a very good job of separating the space between the driver and passenger in the case of a crash.

They said that the additional airbag expands to cover the space between the driver and front passenger preventing head injuries of those in the front row. The center side airbag is installed inside the driver’s seat and will deploy once the impact is sensed.

The new center side airbag is expected to diminish head injuries caused by passengers colliding with each other by 80 percent. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s statistics, the rate of secondary damage caused by these kinds of collisions or from hitting interior materials is about 45 percent.

The Group has applied newly patented technology to maintain reliability, but reduce the weight and size of the airbag.

For instance, the airbag has an internal component which tethers the airbag to maintain its form and withstand the passenger’s weight. Hyundai has also developed a new technology to simplify the design and reduce the weight of component produce an airbag which is about 500 grams lighter than the competing products. Thanks to the smaller size of the airbag, the Group’s design teams will have more flexibility in the type of seat design they envision for future products.

The new center airbag is expected to be deployed soon, particularly from 2020 onward when the Euro NCAP crash safety tests are updated to include side impacts.

Is Kia Philippines Looking to Source More Products from China?

When Kia Philippines sourced the Soluto from China, it certainly raised some eyebrows. Will the Korean automaker start sourcing more models from there?

On the surface, this makes sense given Ayala Automotive sister company, Volkswagen has done well with the Santana, Lavida, Lamando, and Tiguan. However, Product Strategy & Planning Head for Kia, Josh Altarejos says the Soluto is a one-off.

“Sourcing the Soluto from China has mainly to do with Kia Motor Company’s decision to move the Rio sedan’s production from South Korea to Mexico,” Altarejos says. “When we looked at our product mix, we realized that there’s a gap. And because the sub-compact sedan segment is strong in the Philippines, we couldn’t ignore it.”

True enough, when the product line-up is analyzed, the Kia Soluto is the sub-compact sedan “meat” to the Picanto and Rio sandwich, both of which are hatchbacks. In addition, it’s cohesive and well-thought-of, with little to no overlaps. This is compared to Hyundai which, at least from a product perspective, created a mess out of its Reina and Accent simply because they wanted to react against Kia Philippines’ move.

With that, Kia Philippines has managed to climb into the Top 10 best-selling brands in the country with half year sales of 2,398 units. 60 percent of that (1,441) is the Soluto. The Rio sold 22 units due to extreme supply constraints, while the Picanto managed 156 units.

Moving forward, Altarejos says that all other Kia vehicles (apart from the Soluto) will be sourced from Korea including the soon-to-be-launched Seltos crossover.

The Kia Beat360 is a Must-Go in Seoul If You Love Cars and Coffee

At the sidelines of the Seltos global drive, Kia also brought us to an immersive brand experience center dubbed, Kia Beat360.

Based on Kia’s “A Different Beat” essence, Beat360 (stylized as BEAT360) is the Korean automaker’s first brand space filled with carefully-designed vehicle exhibitions, branded content, and even cultural events.

The building itself, located in the posh Gangnam District in Seoul is inspired by the flow of air across a moving vehicle. To achieve this look, the façade consists of 7,553 unique stereoscopic “modules” that changes based on the viewing angle and time.

Inside, the same tile motif continues, but this time, the 8,800 individual tiles not serve to outline the café space, but they’re made to mimic the display of an audio equalizer as well. Kia spared no expense, going down to hiring ContextFormContext or CFC—a Korean-based design studio to create unique typefaces just for Beat360.

Upon entering, the Café space is the first thing that greets visitors. Aside from the wide and airy feel, coffee and tea aficionados can appreciate the offerings of Seoul’s first Steven Smith Tea café branch. While the tea and coffee themselves have made their way to better hotels and supermarkets in Korea, the café does offer exclusively crafted beverages for Beat360.

The Garden zone meanwhile offers a small tranquil space in the middle of the bustling city. In addition, there’s a small putting zone where families can enjoy a mini golf session. Finally, at the Salon, the brand experience center uses Amazon Facial Recognition technology for audiophiles to enjoy an audio-visual experience inspired by Kia’s trademark music-connected ambient lighting.

All throughout the 1,900-square meter space, Kia’s Docents (literally a professional guide in a cultural space) serve as storytellers making the visit even more pleasurable and informative. Oh, and the guide may even know a Tagalog word or two, because some of them received their English language training in the Philippines!

Connecting all three spaces is a common space that looks like a track-and-field oval. Here, Kia has displayed their line-up from the Korean-market only Ray small car to the ultra-luxury K9. Aside from allowing visitors to poke around the different vehicles, virtual reality is also used for an immersive experience.

Of course, no brand experience center is complete with Kia premium items. Items from Kia’s Tuon tuning brand as well as various items such as dog carriers and scale models are all on sale. For those feeling extra fancy, they can even purchase a special Maurice Lacroix x Kia K9 collaboration wrist watch that costs up to 11.890 million Korean won (~ P 513,600).

Opened in 2017, the Kia Beat360 has been recognized by the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for its design. The jury all praised the experience center for its innovative and pioneering design philosophy.

It’s no surprise since Kia sees design as one of its competitive edges. Yet, the 16,353 modules that form the inside and out of Beat360 go beyond that. Through an immersive brand experience space, they want to show that customer experience can also set them apart from other brands.

Kia Beat360 Visitor Information

• Address: 417, Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 9:00 – 21:00 (Closed on the third Monday of every month. Closed on New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year’s Day, and Chuseok, and on the day following these holidays)

How to Get There

• By Subway: Get off Apgujeong Rodeo Station (Bundang Line) via Exit 2, then walk 263 m towards Cheongdam Junction.
• By Bus: Take Bus 4412, 472 or 145 to Apgujeong Rodeo Station, then walk 302m towards Cheongdam Junction.
• By Car: Go straight towards Sinsa Station at the intersection on the southern end of Yeongdongdaegyo Bridge > Turn right at Cheongdam Junction > Arrive at KIA BEAT360 next to Galleria Luxury Hall East.