Comments on: Kia announces impressive November 2009 global sales numbers

By: Jonah

Jonah — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:16:35 +0000

Like what you did. Here’s wishing you a very happy and prosperous new year !

By: Chajee Pojee

Chajee Pojee — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:14:09 +0000

Oops I just hope Kia doesn’t price themselves out of the market. At one Toyota was worth spending a few dollars more to purchase but with their quality issues Kia is a safer and much better value.

By: Chajee Pojee

Chajee Pojee — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:11:42 +0000

Truck would not generate enough sales, Ford has that market cornered. I just Kia doesn’t price themselves out of the market.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:27:48 +0000

Himi I’m just stating what I hear all the time. I work in the Parts Department and hear that, and the people in the Service Department and Sales Departments all say they hear the same- people want a Kia truck. There is a Chevrolet dealer on the same lot as us, and people will walk over to their side and buy a Chevrolet over getting an SUV. Many people that want a truck want a truck. They don’t say, “I need a truck for _____ purpose, but I’ll take an SUV/CUV/MPV that can’t fulfill that need.” Kia should continue developing hybrids, fuel cells and compacts, but also revive the truck they had in development many years ago. They have the Body on Frame chassis of the Borrego; they have flat nosed trucks in other countries. People will buy the truck when they bring it to the USA. Until then, Kia will continue to lose potential sales to domestic (Ford/ Chrysler/ GM) and foreign companies (Nissan/ Toyota/ Honda).

By: himi

himi — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:30:27 +0000

I could agree with you about diesel engines, but not about the trucks. Those are past and Kia should rather concentrate its development towards hybrid cars and compact cars.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:26:23 +0000

Kia still needs a truck in the USA. I hear that every day. And diesel engines.

By: HyundaiSmoke

HyundaiSmoke — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:30:03 +0000

The goal is for Hyundai to sell 500,000 units, and KIA to sell 1-1.5 million units in the US yearly. By providing KIA with some halo cars, some more spot on dead on products like the Forte, a value pricing strategy the cars will fly out of the dealers.

By: HyundaiSmoke

HyundaiSmoke — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:19:15 +0000

Greg, th SUVs havent gotten Alpha numeric designations, yet they still havent decided on how to name that way. K8=KIA Genesis, K9=KIA Equus.
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Greg, dont you see? Hyundai drew customers into the dealers with a “Halo” car=Genesis at a time when the eocnomy was shitty. People said”well if they can make a Genesis then I can trust that Accent, Elantra, Sonata, etc…” Remember, there were some some people stil calling Hyundais throwawy cars, based on some bad experience they have with a Hyundai 10-15 years ago.
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Then with the people drawn to the delaers, they piled on a boatload of incentives, and people piled on to the Cars.
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Dont you see, they are going to do that strategy to KIA next. The Soul was KIAs Current Gen Sonata= a car to get people interested in the company. They now need a Halo Car on top to draw people to the dealers. KIA Marketshare can grow, and surpass Hyundai Easily in the US Market. With KIAs prices you guys should be selling twice as many cars as Hyundai does, but you dont. The intention of the Company is for KIA to be the big volume brand surpassing Hyundai over time.
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So, in order to boost sales to your real potential you need some halo products to draw people to the dealers to Buy Fortes, etc….

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:52:49 +0000

jtz, why do you think that Toyota is all f-ed up? You don’t need to have so many sized vehicles, they start to compete with each other. Not to mention, the Rav4 is a Sportage competitor, the Matrix is a Spectra5/Forte5 competitor. While the Venza and highlander are the only true Sorento/Rondo competitors.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:47:50 +0000

The K8 is the 2011 Borrego, BTW. Having a new Carens is pointless, because the Sorento is actually more of a Rondo replacement than a Sorento replacement. The Rondo and new Sorento are both midsize CUVs, while the old Sorento was a compact SUV.

By: jtz

jtz — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:17:39 +0000

What Greg said, “Wait, why do we need a Sportage, Forte hatch, Sorento, AND new Rondo?” Because Toyota has the Rave 4, Matrix, Highlander and Venza.

By: HyundaiSmoke

HyundaiSmoke — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:39:51 +0000

Make big gas sipping sedans with nice power, and small cars that perform and act like small cars look like Shrunken Down SUVs is the recipe for the US market. Rio hatch should look like a baby Soul and Baby Sportage, Accent Hatch Should look a like a cross between Veloster and Shrunken down Tuscon.
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Voluminize our C Segments like the Next Gen Elantra to give them an appearence that they are Midsized cars as opposed to Compact cars. Voluminize our D-segments like the New Sonata to look a larger as an E segment car, but weigh less than their last gen variants. Go over the top with our big boy sedans: Cadenza/Azera, K8/Genesis, K9/Equus.

By: HyundaiSmoke

HyundaiSmoke — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:32:23 +0000

Becuase younger people want more ultility, Greg. Especially in the small cars. They are getting tired of these Shrunken down clown Car sedans. Younger Americans are moving towards the Euro Hatch Niche.
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Plus KIA=young peoples brand with future tech, etc… Like the Cadenza is a perfect Archetype for a younger persons large Luxury car, SOUL is a Perfect Archetype for a young peoples MPV.
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I personally think with SOUL around and a Forte Hatch coming the Carens brought over here named something else is pointless.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:03:26 +0000

Wait, why do we need a Sportage, Forte hatch, Sorento, AND new Rondo?

By: HyundaiSmoke

HyundaiSmoke — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:50:59 +0000

Exactly JTZ and Derrick. Let them show a Carens for the Euro Makret, and see the US reaction to it. if we like it sell it here, if not I put my eggs in the Forte hatch basket. Though a Forte hatch plan has been confirmed, so regardless of what we think about the new Carens we still will get a Forte Hatch.