Kia has been a global giant in the automobile manufacturing industry, for decades. Formerly known as Kia Motors, the brand has recently dropped the ‘Motors’ suffix. This has come as a part of its latest strategy to tap into mobility solutions.
Read More: Kia rebrands with a dramatically different logo design.
THE SHIFT
Kia has released its latest forward-moving strategies, following its latest logo reveal. According to the company, Kia does not want to stay constrained to the ‘manufacturing’ aspect of the overall industry. Keeping up with the global electronic revolutions, Kia wants to leverage its brand identity and image. Kia plans to move forward into integrated mobility solutions.
THE PURPOSE
What this means is, the Korean automobile juggernaut wants to break free of its traditional business model. Instead of simply being a manufacturing-driven company, the brand wants to expand into new and innovative automobile solutions. It plans to achieve that by becoming the go-to brand for producing innovative mobility products to enhance the livelihood of its customers.
KIA’S FUTURE PLANS
Kia plans to create a new market for itself as a mobility solutions provider, thus the removal of its suffix. On the other hand, its long-term plan entails a forward approaching ‘Plan S’ strategy. The ‘Plan S’ strategy will definitely be one of the most integral parts of Kia’s future success, as the brand looks to capture the Electronic Vehicles market by 2027. According to Kia, the brand is planning to launch 7 EVs, all by 2027.
The first to be manufactured is a coupe-crossover supported by Hyundai Motor Group’s latest Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). Its set to be unraveled in the coming weeks of 2021. As a part of its teaser campaign, Kia unveiled darkened images of its upcoming models. These darkened images suggest that the brand is likely to come up with a wide range of passenger vehicles. These vehicles are like to include SUVs and MPVs, which will ensure long-distance driving comfort, as well as high-speed charging capacities. Kia hopes to incorporate industry-leading technological integrations to fuel these models with effective mobility.
The preview shots also incorporate a handful of Kia’s Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs) targeted to its corporate customers. To produce these vehicles Kia has partnered with firms such as Canoo and Arrival. Kia believes that the demand for these vehicles will have a staggering increase of more than five-fold by 2030. The vehicles are built on innovative ‘Skateboard’ platforms encompassing modular bodies. Furthermore, these designs will include car-sharing and delivery vehicles.
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On the other hand, the brand is looking forward to expanding into eco-friendly mobility services, with a view to incorporate electric and autonomous driving across major global cities.
Kia has surely reshaped its value propositions, keeping up with many market leaders who have repositioned themselves. The vision is simple yet impactful, as all these brands including Kia hope to move away from the label of ‘traditional car manufacturers’ to an integrated mobility solutions provider in the long run.
In this regard, the President & CEO of Kia, Mr. Ho Sung Song mentioned,
“We believe that transportation, mobility, and movement represent a human right. Our vision is to create sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities, and societies globally.”
Kia has certainly taken a timely initiative to reposition itself into a mobility solutions provider, keeping up with the changing trends in the global automobile industry.
What are your thoughts on Kia’s latest brand repositioning? To stay updated with more such global branding news and updates, stay with Markedium.
