First steps on the greener side

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The all-new Kia Sorento — PHOTO FROM KIA PHILIPPINES

The Kia Stonic Style Edition becomes the fourth variant of the brand’s best-seller here. — PHOTO FROM KIA PHILIPPINES

Kia PHL brand refresh paints path to eco-mobility; all-new Sorento, Stonic Style edition unveiled

By Aries B. Espinosa

KIA PHILIPPINES couldn’t have timed this better. Government has been easing COVID-19 restrictions across all business and lifestyle sectors. The holiday season has started. Entire families can travel again and yes, even for just a teeny bit, gasoline and diesel pump prices rolled back for the first time (after a maddening series of hikes) last week.

All in all, the motoring public was primed up for something exciting coming from the auto sector, and Kia Philippines was more than happy to oblige.

It came in the form of a dual coming-out party for the Korean car maker in a Nov. 8 online press conference. First, it unveiled a new brand identity, then it introduced two new models: The all-new Kia Sorento and the Kia Stonic Style, the sporty edition of its current best-seller.

The refreshed Kia flashed a new logo, look, and slogan, from “The Power to Surprise” to “Movement That Inspires.”

“After just a few years of operations, Kia Philippines is now even more active in the bigger global movement. We are now prepared to launch a new brand purpose, bringing with us new ideas, new products. We look toward the future as a stronger part of the new Kia global movement — movement that inspires. To push forward means understanding the message of movement that inspires and put it into action. It means being open to possibilities,” Kia Philippines President Manny Aligada said in his speech.

The Kia brand refresh in the Philippines amplifies the corporate character of its parent company Ayala Corp., of which AC Industrials — Ayala’s emergent industrial technologies group which clusters all six of the corporation’s automotive brands into AC Motors — the automaker calls home. “The Kia brand echoes the position and reliability of Ayala Corp., and looks forward as the backdrop of change, of transformation, through AC Industrials mastery of technology. At the forefront of the conversation is the assurance that this movement towards transformation is correctly influenced and examined,” AC Industrials President and CEO Art Tan explained.

Ted Lee, president and CEO of Kia Asia Pacific, then offered a glimpse of Kia Philippines’ imminent future. “As we establish a leading position in the future of the mobility industry, we will expand our business to encompass electric vehicles, mobility solutions and services, purpose-built vehicles, and more. Kia’s new brand strategy is rooted from our dedication to diversify our business to offer eco-friendly mobility services, centered on electric and autonomous driving across major global cities. We will also promote more sustainable production routes through the usage of clean energy and recyclable materials,” he said.

However, before Kia Philippines adopts this electrifying expansion, it upgrades its current product roster with the introduction of the all-new Kia Sorento, which comes in bigger and sportier from its previous iteration. The all-new Sorento fills in as Kia’s bet for the midsize SUV category, offering a bold design, spacious seven-seat, three-row seating configuration, and powered by the 2.2-liter Smartstream Diesel mated to a dual-clutch transmission.

The Stonic Style Edition, on the other hand, becomes the fourth variant of the Kia Philippines best-seller, with this kitted-up sporty version placed just below the high-end EX Automatic variant intended for the younger set of Stonic buyers.

In an exclusive interview with “Velocity,” Mr. Aligada shared that the all-new Sorento is one of his favorite vehicles to drive.

“Many midsize SUVs are truck-based, that’s why their rides are bumpy and harsh. The Sorento is very different in that the ride is much more comfortable. And there’s a lot of high technology packed into it. The Sorento comes with the thinking that the one who drives it will use it as his or her daily vehicle, so they have to be comfortable,” he explained.

For the Stonic, Mr. Aligada revealed that “one out of every three” Kia vehicles sold in the Philippines has been its subcompact crossover. “The Stonic has just been in the market for barely over a year, and yet it has successfully bridged the gap between the sedan and the subcompact SUV market. So, with the fourth variant of the Stonic, we aim for the sporty, younger set of that market niche,” he said.

The all-new Kia Sorento 4×2 SX 8DCT variant will be available starting the fourth week of November while the 4×2 EX 8DCT will be on the market by January 2022. Price starts at P2.398 million. The Kia Stonic Style Edition 1.4 AT is priced at P895,000, and will be available by the fourth week of November.

Assessing Kia Philippines performance for 2021, thus far, Mr. Aligada disclosed, “As of September, Kia sales has grown 89% compared to 2020, which is one of the highest in the industry, which is averaging 27% growth.”

He added that Kia Philippines sales have been driven mainly by its top three sellers, the Soluto subcompact sedan, the Stonic, and the K2500 utility truck.