precisely 10 years back this week, car reveal ran a function introducing the then new Kia Cee’d to readers. They were suitably impressed, as they were entitled to be; the Cee’d was the cars and truck that started the process which transformed the business from lightly regarded budget plan brand to authentic mainstream contender.
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The journey, frankly, has been amazing, with countless purchasers wooed by astonishing leaps in high quality as well as an attractive seven-year warranty.
But where does the firm go next? This week, a full decade after our Cee’d feature, we’ve evaluated the most recent Kia, the new Rio supermini, as well as in reality it’s a bit underwhelming. While perfectly acceptable in isolation, it failed to match the VW Polo for high quality as well as Suzuki’s Baleno for value, falling into a bit of a no-man’s land in the mass market. It’s probably a step back from its predecessor.
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You might state the exact same about the most recent Sportage, too. While the last design was widely loved, the most recent cars and truck is much less revolutionary as well as much more of an obtained taste, with similar however less cohesive styling.
To my mind, these two cars and trucks sum up the problem that Kia now faces. having drawn in hordes of new buyers, exactly how does it continue to innovate as well as develop without alienating those converts?
There’s a even more problem to address, too; price. Kia can no longer count on this to draw in buyers; the Rio we evaluated was £16,295, some £1,205 much more costly than the Polo next to it. That’s a difficult sell.
Yes, the guarantee will always pull people in as well as the Stinger ought to sprinkle some stardust on the brand’s reputation, however what Kia truly needs is to establish much more of an identity for its cars. breaking into the mainstream was one thing; carving out its own niche now that it’s there may show a bit tougher.
What do you believe of Kia’s present position? let us understand below…