Naza plans to introduce 3 more new models to gain back their market in the Auto Industry.Read the full story from Business Times below
NAZA KIA NEW SAVIOUR
Naza Kia Sdn Bhd, the automotive arm of the Naza Group which distributes Kia vehicles in the country, expects its share of the local passenger car market to grow to 10 per cent by the end of 2010, when it introduces several new models this year.
Between 2003 and 2006, Kia controlled some 7 per cent of the market, but since then saw its market share drop to 3.2 per cent.
Naza Kia corporate communications director Samson Anand George said it plans to roll out three new Kia models over the next six months, namely the Kia Soul, the Kia Forte 2-door Koup and the Kia Sorento XM.
It is betting that its new vehicles will help it regain market share and shed its old image.
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“We know we can’t change people’s mindset overnight, but we are confident we will get there,” he told Malaysian journalists during a trip to Seoul, South Korea last week.
George said Naza Kia’s positioning of Kia vehicles has always been focused on pricing, providing customers value for their money.
But its prices won’t be as low as the national cars, nor will they command that high a premium as Japanese makes like Toyota and Honda.
Kia Motors deputy general manager of international public relations, Michael Choo, in a separate briefing said the group is confident that sales of Kia vehicles globally will continue to improve this year and beyond.
Kia Motors is a subsidiary of Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group.
In 2007, Choo said, Hyundai-Kia was the world’s fifth largest car maker with annual sales exceeding major Japanese and European brands.
“In terms of volume of cars sold globally, we are very near to BMW,” said Choo, adding that Hyundai-Kia’s revenue last year was US$40 billion (RM212 billion).
He pointed out that global retail sales rose by 8.4 per cent year-on-year in 2008, despite the slowdown in the US and European markets.
Over the last decade, international findings have shown that the quality of Kia vehicles has improved tremendously and today, it stands almost equal to the industry average.
“But when it comes to perceived quality, we are still in the last place and this is a big task for us (to convince buyers of its quality) this year and going forward,” said Choo.
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