Ute and small SUV to boost Kia
Five new 2018 releases to spur another record year for Korean brand; first Kia small SUV, EV and ute to followKia Australia can’t wait to get its hands on the brand’s first compact SUV and first one-tonne ute.
Speaking to motoring.com.au this week, chief operating officer Damien Meredith said both models will drive significant sales boosts and, in the case of Kia’s first Toyota HiLux rival, a new phase of dealer network expansion.
In contrast to some top-10 brands in Australia, Kia sales were up almost 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year – on top of a spike of more than 28 per cent in 2017, when the Korean car-maker sold a record 54,737 cars here.
Meredith predicted another record in 2018, thanks to four new releases in the next three months – the facelifted Carnival people-mover in May, facelifted Optima sedan and new Cerato sedan in June, and facelifted Sportage in July – followed by the new Cerato hatch later this year.
“I think it [2018] will be a record year,” said Meredith. “Between 57,000 and 60,000 [Kia sales] and 12 per cent growth. We’d be happy with that.”
More growth is expected next year, with a revitalised model range and a new volume-selling small car, plus Kia Australia’s first compact crossover.
The as-yet-unnamed and unseen small SUV, which is expected to debut at the Paris motor show in September, goes on sale here in late 2019.
Kia Australia has also committed to releasing its first electrified vehicle within three years. In fact it has promised to launch two fully battery-electric models – not hybrids – by 2021, but not the Niro EV crossover.
Meredith said Kia’s next big growth phase will come the same year or in 2022, when it hopes to launch its first light commercial vehicle (LCV), which will necessitate the expansion of a dealer network that currently numbers 132 outlets.
“The small SUV hits in late 2019 and will have full [sales] impact in 2020. Then hopefully LCV will make life pretty good for the Kia dealer network.
“The network is the right size now. We have to ensure sales per dealer is going up. The next big step will be LCV.”
Kia’s inaugural pick-up is expected to be based on Hyundai’s first HiLux rival, which is due by 2021.
But Kia spokesman Kevin Hepworth stressed the model was not yet signed off and may not simply be a Kia-badged version of its sister brand’s ute.
“It may not be the same vehicle,” he said. “It might not necessarily be a badge-engineered vehicle. It could be something else.
“We haven’t had any official word. If and when it does come it will be 2021-22. It would be fantastic, but it’s not guaranteed.”
Hepworth said the first Kia ute would not be based on the Tucson-based Hyundai Santa Cruz ‘lifestyle’ dual-cab designed for the US, but a direct rival for one-tonne 4x4 twin-cabs like the Ford Ranger.
“We’d only be interested in a full ladder frame with full capability,” he said.
What’s coming from Kia:
Carnival – May
Cerato sedan – June
Optima – June
Sportage – July
Cerato hatch – October
Small SUV – Late 2019
EV – 2021
Ute – 2021-22
Image: 2017 Kia Telluride SUV concept
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