Kia unveils new brand identity in India; aims to lead future mobility landscape

PTI, Apr 28, 2021, 9:24 AM IST

Automaker Kia on Tuesday introduced its new brand positioning in India with a focus on transitioning from being just a carmaker to a provider of advanced and eco-friendly mobility solutions.

The company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of South Korea’s Kia Corporation, introduced a refashioned logo and brand slogan as part of the new brand unveiling.

In the Indian context, the brand slogan Movement that inspires represents the company’s ambitious plans for leading the future mobility revolution in the country with premium products equipped with unique design and segment-first features, advanced digitised services complemented by one of the largest networks by any new entrant brand in the country.

The company said it will unveil Seltos and the Sonet with a new logo in the first week of May.

In line with the change, Kia India also intends to attain full capacity utilisation of its manufacturing facility in Anantapur in a move to facilitate faster production and delivery of its vehicles.

”This is a proud and historic moment for us as India becomes the first country to transition to the new brand identity after our headquarters in South Korea,” Kia India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kookhyun Shim said during a virtual event.

The company’s decision to increase the production capacity stems from its deep customer understanding where a faster delivery of products can enhance their buying experience tremendously, he added.

“We are confident that this transformation will accelerate our growth by not only strengthening our premium positioning in the market but also making us one of the most aspirational brands for consumers,” Shim said.

As part of India’s growth strategy with the new identity, the company plans to expand its sales network to 360 touch points covering 218 cities including tier-3 and select tier-4 towns by the end of this year.

“Kia is a futuristic brand and always on the move to be as close as possible to our consumers. We feel that regular product interventions and increasing brand accessibility are some of the key areas, which will help us in meeting this objective,” Kia India Vice President and Head of Sales and Marketing Hardeep Singh Brar said.

Hence, the automaker is making a conscious decision to regularly refresh its existing product portfolio, launch new products at regular intervals and foray into newer markets to provide an aspirational experience to consumers who are keen on becoming proud Kia owners, he added.

In April 2017, Kia India signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a new manufacturing facility in the Anantapur district. It commenced mass production in August 2019 and has an annual production capacity of around 3 lakh units currently.