Kia to open more dealerships this year

MANILA, Philippines — Kia Philippines is ramping up its expansion with the opening of new dealerships to bring the total to 38 by year-end and 50 by next year.

In an online briefing, Kia Philippines sales director Jun Cajayon said the automotive firm is opening an additional four dealerships in the last quarter.

He said the new dealerships would be located in Cainta in Rizal, San Pablo in Laguna, Nueva Ecija and Bohol.

Kia Philippines selected the locations considered to be high growth areas for vehicle sales.

The company opened four dealerships – Bonifacio Global City, Marikina, Fairview and Isabela – during the current quarter.

When the four new dealerships become operational, Kia Philippines, which had 30 dealerships at the start of the year, would have a total of 38.

Cajayon said Kia Philippines intends to continue to expand its presence in the country by bringing the total dealership count to 50 by next year.

“To touch base with the consumers, we would now have 38 by the end of the year, but 37 within October to showcase the Stonic,” he said.

Kia Philippines president Manny Aligada said the company is aiming to sell 300 units of the Stonic crossover which will be launched on Oct.15.

Stonic is targeted for young and active individuals or newly weds who are looking for a vehicle they can use daily.

Aligada said the company is making the Stonic available as it sees the vehicle model as an active player in the entry level segment where there has been strong consumer interest as more individuals are looking to use their own cars amid the pandemic.

“With the introduction of the Stonic, this adds another player into this very active segment that is growing,” he said.

Available in three variants, the Stonic has a pre-launch price range of P675,000 to P875,000.

Aligada said Kia Philippines is sticking to its target to sell a total of 4,000 units this year as it expects recovery in vehicle sales in the remaining months of the year with the eased community quarantine.

Last year, Kia Philippines sold a total of 5,019 vehicles.