On April 18, 2023, Kia and its global strategic vehicle lineup Matrix made an appearance at the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, showcasing its new lineup and image with a brand new “Windows of Inspiration” booth design.
At this year’s auto show, Kia released its new compact SUV Seltos X-Line, further enhancing the competitive power of its fuel vehicle lineup. Meanwhile, the EV6 GT, EV5 concept car, EV9 concept car, and E-GMP electric vehicle-specific platform all made their debut, showcasing Kia’s determination to fully transition to electric vehicles.
Outstanding brand transformation: Kia is committed to rooting in the Chinese market
In the face of an ever-changing global auto market, Kia started a comprehensive and thorough brand transformation in 2021, reforming its entire business domain to achieve its corporate vision of becoming a “sustainable mobility solution provider.” Based on the “Plan S” strategy, Kia is actively expanding its business footprint, developing innovative transportation products and solutions for the new era of mobility, and is dedicated to becoming a leader in the global mobility industry.
At the auto show, the General Manager of Kia China, Jin Jingxuan, stated that “In 2022, Kia achieved unprecedented success globally, with sales of 2.9 million vehicles, ranking 7th on the global automotive sales list. As the world’s most dynamic and potential auto market, ensuring success in China is the core of Kia’s global strategic plan.”
In order to further promote development in the Chinese market, Kia also adheres to the New Kia brand transformation strategy, aiming to innovate customer experience, resolutely advance localization reform, and revitalizing upgrades in branding, products, channels, services, and marketing, accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and striving to meet the increasingly diverse mobility needs of Chinese users.
The new SUV Seltos is officially on sale, adding another powerful model to Kia’s fuel vehicle lineup
At this year’s auto show, the new compact SUV Seltos was officially launched with four models available for purchase, with an official price guidance of RMB 109,900 to RMB 139,900. Kia also has eight purchase gifts for consumers, with the comprehensive discount price starting at only RMB 99,900.
Seltos adopts Kia’s “Opposites United” new design concept, taking “Power to Progress” as its design inspiration, creating a tough, confident, and agile fashion style.
In terms of interior, Seltos has dual 10.25-inch intelligent integrated displays, equipped with the new upgraded Kia Connect intelligent interconnection system, supporting user-friendly functions such as guest mode and rear seat mute mode unique to its class, creating a higher level of driving experience for users.
In addition, Seltos is also equipped with an L2+ level intelligent driving assistance system, escorting users for their travel. In terms of power, Seltos not only has a more fuel-efficient 1.5 L powertrain, with a WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption of only 6.05 L per 100 km, but also a new 1.4 T surging power system, with a maximum torque of 242 N·m, a WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption as low as 6.26 L per 100 km, and fully meeting users’ ultimate needs for strong power and low fuel consumption.
It is worth mentioning that the talented singer Su Xin was invited to be the spokesperson for Seltos, and cheered for Seltos’ launch at the auto show through video interaction. In the afternoon of April 20th, Su Xin will also visit Kia’s booth in Hall 8.2 of the National Convention and Exhibition Center, presenting an exciting music and visual feast for the audience.
As Kia’s global strategic star model, the launch of Seltos is another result of Kia’s practice of the New Kia brand innovation strategy, which will help accelerate Kia’s fuel vehicle lineup renewal. At the auto show, Kia’s globally popular models such as Lionet, Jiahua, K5, K3 and other star models also made their appearance, attracting many admirers.
KIA China Accelerates Strategy on New Energy, Shining in the Field With KIA Pioneer Pure Electric Vehicles
In response to the explosive growth of new energy vehicles in China, KIA has developed a medium and long-term electrification blueprint to help KIA China become a leading brand in electrification. Starting from this year, KIA will launch at least one pure electric vehicle based on the electric car-specific E-GMP platform every year, and a total of six pure electric models will be launched by 2027.
At the same time, KIA will increase research and development investment in advanced technologies such as mobile travel, electrification, internet technology and autonomous driving, and based on the KIA electric vehicle-specific platform, integrate the research results of China’s forward-looking digital research center to bring more diverse and superior electrification products to Chinese consumers.
At this auto show, the KIA EV6 GT, EV5 concept car, EV9 concept car, and electric vehicle-specific platform E-GMP were all showcased, demonstrating KIA’s profound strength in pioneering pure electric technology.
Among them, the EV6 GT has a comprehensive output power of up to 430 kW, with a hundred-kilometer acceleration time of only 3.5 seconds, comparable to supercars. At the same time, it supports an 800 V high-voltage fast charging system, which can charge the battery from 10\% to 80\% in just 18 minutes.
In terms of intelligence, the EV6 GT is equipped with an enhanced version of the intelligent driving assistance system, including semi-automatic lane change assistance and rear-end collision prevention assistance, and is also equipped with AR HUD augmented reality head-up display technology, providing comprehensive protection for users’ travel.
It is worth mentioning that the EV6 is currently gaining momentum worldwide. After winning the “2022 European Car of the Year” and “2023 North American Car of the Year” awards, the EV6 GT recently won the “2023 World Performance Car of the Year” award, demonstrating KIA’s unparalleled electric technology strength. In August of this year, the EV6 will be launched in China as an imported car, maintaining a high quality consistent with global standards.
The EV5 concept car adopts KIA’s new “Opposites United” design concept, showcasing the new aesthetic trend of future pure electric models. The innovative interior layout of the EV5 concept car uses a newly rotatable seat layout, breaking the boundaries of indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a boundless space for users to naturally and harmoniously coexist. With a range of over 700 km (CLTC standard) and a charging time of less than 20 minutes, it greatly alleviates users’ anxiety about mileage and charging of electric vehicles.In addition, the EV5 will be Kia’s first electric vehicle produced and launched in China, with plans to be available for domestic sales in November of this year. It is the first Kia model to feature the second-generation remote intelligent parking assist system and will incorporate multiple advanced intelligent safety features for a safer and more intelligent driving experience.
The Kia EV9 concept vehicle is a flagship SUV with a length of over 5,000mm and a wheelbase of 3,100mm. It features a three-row, six-seat layout with a flat floor design that provides luxurious space for passengers. The EV9 is equipped with an 800-volt high-voltage fast-charging system that can add 239 km of driving range in just 15 minutes. It is also fitted with the fourth-generation battery and the second-generation battery management system to further ensure its competitive driving range. As Kia’s first high-speed expressway autonomous driving system (HDP) equipped model in China, the EV9 is expected to achieve level 3 autonomous driving and will come with 10 standard safety airbags for comprehensive protection of all passengers. The new vehicle is expected to be officially launched in China next year.
In addition to expanding its product lineup, Kia will also collaborate with large dealer groups to maximize the expansion of electric vehicle sales channels and brand touchpoints, and completely transform the user experience. Kia plans to establish a high-speed charging network in cooperation with Shell, and to further expand the basic charging network through cooperation with China’s third-party charging companies, providing users with a convenient and cost-effective electric vehicle travel experience. In addition, Kia plans to launch a brand app in the second half of this year as a comprehensive platform built from a user perspective, providing information on purchasing, customer service, and entertainment for all areas of automotive life to enhance the overall user experience.
This year marks a year of advancement in Kia’s brand transformation in China. Kia will accelerate the comprehensive implementation of China’s new energy strategy, introduce more globally-leading electrification technologies and products, and provide Chinese consumers with higher-quality mobile travel services, striving to achieve new heights in the Chinese market.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.