3:25 am, September 10, 2013
‘CUSTOMERS are still surprised at how good our cars are’, a company director has exclusively told Car Dealer.
While the Korean brand’s turn in fortunes are well known to many in the industry, customers are still surprised at how strong the firm’s cars are when they get behind the wheel, says Paul Philpot, Kia Motors UK president and CEO.
‘We are aware that 50 per cent of the UK population has never considered a Kia,’ explained Philpot. ‘While that is a sizeable opportunity for us, it’s clear that those who are owners are the ones that are really selling our cars for us.’
Philpot believes the firm’s recent tie-up with the review company Reevoo is a sign of how keen customers are to talk about their Kia.
‘When customers buy a brand new car from one of our dealers, they are contacted by Revoo 28-days later,’ Philpot said. ‘They are then asked to submit a review of their car – and we are getting some tremendously positive comments. Our average score is 8.5 out of 10. More manufacturers are starting to follow our lead now and realising how important it is to let the customer sell their cars for them.’
Record year
Philpot also told Car Dealer he expects 2013 to be another record year for the Korean brand.
He firmly believes Kia will shift 72,000 cars in the UK this year – moving it ever higher in the sales charts.
And one of the key drivers will be the Sportage. Despite it being around largely unchanged since its 2010 introduction, the distinctly-styled SUV is still pulling customers in.
‘I have a bet with my sales director we will sell 20,000 Sportages this year,’ said Philpot.
‘If you compare that to what we doing with the old Sportage, you really understand what a milestone that is. With the previous generation Sportage, we were selling 3,000 a year – not 20,000!’
