KIA PHILIPPINES (KP Motors Corp.) is targeting 12,500 automobile sales this yr, in response to its chief operating officer (COO).
“We’re aiming to hit 12,500 cars this yr, which represents an 86% growth from the nearly 7,000 units we sold last yr,” said Brian James Buendia, COO of Kia Philippines, through the launch of the brand new Sorento on Thursday.
“It’s aspirational, and we have already got the formula in place. Last yr, we achieved a 33% growth despite facing some supply challenges. Now, as we ramp up our Sonet supply and introduce latest models, I imagine it’s achievable,” he added.
Kia Philippines ranked because the tenth top-selling brand, in response to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).
In 2024, Kia Philippines sold 6,692 units, marking a 33% increase from the 5,033 units sold in 2023, representing a 1.43% market share.
“We finished the yr at 1.4%, but within the last six months of 2023, we were already achieving a 1.7% to 1.8% market share. For this yr, with a full yr of Kia Sonet sales, we expect to extend our market share to at the very least 2.1% to 2.5%,” Mr. Buendia said.
Mr. Buendia noted that the Kia Sonet and the newly launched Sorento Turbo Hybrid will drive sales growth this yr.
On Thursday, Kia Philippines, a subsidiary of Mobility, launched the Sorento Turbo Hybrid, available in three variants: EX Turbo Hybrid FWD, EX+ Turbo Hybrid FWD, and SX Turbo Hybrid AWD, with prices starting from P2.188 million to P2.888 million.
For 2025, Mr. Buendia said Kia Philippines is aiming to sell 1,500 to 2,000 units of the Sorento Turbo Hybrid.
“The expansion this yr will likely be supported by the Sorento, in addition to the Sonet. The Sonet could have full-year exposure this yr, unlike last yr, once we sold nearly 7,000 units but for under half the yr. It was our best-seller,” he said.
“We could have the Sonet available for the whole yr, which can definitely help drive our numbers, together with the Sorento and our latest hybrid lineup for the Carnival,” he added.
Along with the Sorento launched on Thursday, Mr. Buendia mentioned that Kia is exploring other models tailored to the Philippine market.
“It’s easy to bring cars here, but now we’re learning to check the market first before introducing latest models. We have already got a couple of models for testing that I cannot yet reveal,” he said.
“If those cars show positive leads to our research, we’ll definitely bring them in. We’re all the time open to opportunities and aim to align the whole Kia lineup with the electrification of AC mobility,” he added.
Along with latest models, Mr. Buendia said Kia is specializing in the standard of its 40 dealerships to support sales growth.
“In case you visit Kia dealerships now, you’ll see they’ve adopted the brand new Kia store image, complete with the brand new logo. This began in 2022, and we’re now at around 70% of our Kia dealers using the brand new corporate logo,” he said.
“Together with that, we’re implementing latest customer experience training across all dealerships, specializing in end-to-end customer engagement. We imagine this will likely be a major driver of our growth,” he added.
Kia offers a wide selection of vehicles, including internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid, and fully electric vehicles (EVs). Nevertheless, Mr. Buendia said that ICE vehicles will remain the fundamental growth driver for 2025.
“For 2025, we expect ICE vehicles to proceed leading our growth. Our ICE offerings cater to the lower segment, including subcompact SUVs (sports utility vehicles) just like the Kia Sonet,” he said.
“While our electrified models, comparable to hybrids and EVs, are currently positioned within the premium segment, the ICE models will still dominate sales,” he added.
Specifically, he said ICE models are expected to account for 70-75% of the corporate’s sales in 2025. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
