Kia India has announced a network expansion programme that aims to make the brand accessible to customers from Tier IV and upcountry locations, which constitute 46 per cent of Kia's network capacity in India. Meanwhile, Tier I and Tier II cities account for 40 per cent of the company's total network strength. Under the expansion programme, Kia intends to expand the number of service touchpoints to about 700 in 300 cities by 2024 from its current 522 in 236 cities.
"The car buying experience revolves around accessibility and convenience, which customers expect from a carmaker. In our country, purchasing a car is the second most important decision after buying a house, and to make this moment memorable, we have expanded our touchpoints network from 285 to 522 since starting our operations in India. As part of Kia's 2.0 strategy, we are aiming to close the year with over 700 touchpoints, thereby making Kia more accessible to our esteemed customers," said Mr Hardeep Singh Brar, National Head – Sales & Marketing, Kia India.
Kia's network strategy in India aims to strengthen sales and service touchpoints alike. Presently, Kia has 337 sales points, 350 workshops, and 59 certified pre-owned outlets. Kia says it intends to increase its certified pre-owned network to 100 outlets by the end of 2024. Besides, the company provides its aftersales services through 54 mobile workshops in upcountry towns, as well as has 110 service cars in big cities to provide doorstep services to urban customers.
Kia Lineup in India
In the Indian market, Kia currently sells the Sonet, Seltos, and Carens, not to mention the EV6. The prices of internal combustion engine-powered vehicles will see an increase by 3 per cent, with effect from April 1, 2024. This will be Kia's first price hike for its passenger vehicles. As for the company's EV6, the year 2025 could see Kia bring the facelifted version into the Indian market. The test mule was caught undergoing extensive testing on European roads, revealing a few design details, including revised headlamps and a new pair of wheels.
Other than that, the Kia EV9, which recently won the 2024 World Car Of The Year (WCOTY) title, is expected to go on sale in the country in 2024. Interestingly, it was also the winner of the 2024 World Electric Vehicle Award at the New York International Auto Show.
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