AC Automotive, Ayala Corporation’s automobile business company operating under AC Industrials (ACI), has announced that it will officially re-launch the Kia brand in the Philippines on January 30, 2019.
Kia Philippines is led by Arthur Tan as Chairman and CEO and Manny Aligada as President. With the acquisition of Kia, AC Automotive now manages 6 brands including Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, KTM motorcycles, and Maxus.
The Kia brand presents the opportunity for AC Automotive to become a more significant player in the Philippine automotive market, as the brand–the oldest and second largest automobile seller in South Korea–is also represented in over 185 countries. Kia’s global volumes and multiple assembly sites also assure of steady and substantial volumes and market share in the Philippines. Kia has, at present, a network of 37 dealerships.
Kia’s variety of models also assures AC Automotive that it will be able to satisfy the needs and wants of a broad spectrum of the local car market. As such, Kia in the Philippines will be positioned as the “approachable everyday companion,” a brand identity that mainstream car buyers could immediately relate to as the Kia brand has had a shared history with the everyday Filipino motorist for over 24 years.
Kia Philippines president Manny Aligada | Photo by Mika Fernandez – David
With the Kia business in the Philippines now under ACI’s wing, customers can expect an upgraded level of service consistent with global standards, yet still retaining that personal touch. Consistent with Kia’s global mantra of “The Power to Surprise,” Kia Philippines aims to have more dealers in strategic locations and will be actively offering additional relevant models to the market.
Every Kia dealership will also deliver the Kia Promise to Care Programs, which will ramp up after-sales service quality, competence, and parts availability to provide every customer exceptional service experience. Marketing and promotional activities for the new models will likewise be heightened both in mainstream and new media.
More exciting and competitively priced models will be rolled out, with three new models to be introduced in 2019, to delight customers in all stages of the ownership and maintenance process.
As AC Automotive moves forward to relaunch the Kia brand, it also aims to strengthen the Kia network and facilities as well as to further improve its operations as part of the next phase. Looking ahead, Kia will adopt new technologies and be aligned with future market requirements.
With this newly established partnership with Ayala, a brand synonymous with trust, quality, and utmost customer care in its nearly 30 years in the automotive business, Kia is poised to realize its full potential in the Philippines.