Kia has headlined the global motoring news yet again, as the recent JD Power Dependability Survey has placed the Korean carmaker as the #1 mass-market automotive brand. The survey results were based on the recently released US Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) that showed Kia encountering just 97 problems per 100 vehicles (97 PP100), a significant reduction of 35 PP100 from the previous year’s survey. The survey also showed the Sportage and Sorento SUVs topping their respective segments.
According to Kia Philippines President, Manny Aligada, the JD Power survey results aren’t that much of a surprise. In fact, it illustrates Kia’s new global motto, “Movement that Inspires”, now being applied in real terms, with tangible benefits to Kia vehicle owners. “From the beginning, we have anchored ourselves on the brand’s reliability that Filipinos can count on. This recent acknowledgment just boosted our motivation to inspire the local automotive market and up their game in terms of giving the market what they truly deserve,” Aligada said.
Kia’s achievement is the latest in a series of recognitions accorded by the prestigious US-based global market research company. In 2020, Kia topped the JD Power Initial Quality Study with a PP100 score of 136—sharing the top spot with an American carmaker.
The 7-seater Kia Sorento was the highest ranked in the 2017 and 2018 JD Power Initial Quality Study Award (IQS) for the midsize SUV segment, while the Sportage also topped the compact SUV segment in the JD Power IQS and VDS in 2019. Both SUVs are included in the vehicle roster of Kia Philippines.
For Kia, the experience of owning, driving, and riding in a world-class vehicle shouldn’t only be felt merely at the present or in the moment. The most fulfilling ownership experience happens when one relishes the thought of driving that same car well into the future, with no worries in sight.
That is the epitome of dependability. In Kia Philippines, dependability is most felt and experienced with its “Promise to Care” program, wherein every vehicle comes with a five-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty (whichever comes first), except for the K2500 which offers a three-year or 110,000 km-warranty.
Utmost dependability covers even the sudden and unpredictable. For this, Kia Philippines entitles its vehicle owners to 24/7 Roadside Assistance. This is free for the first five years and also includes emergency towing, minor onsite repair, personal and medical assistance, and information service.
Kia Philippines has also made dependability a key promise for its parts supplies and servicing. To ensure its dealerships are supplied with authentic parts on time anytime, Kia Philippines has increased its inventory for maintenance and mechanical parts five-fold, and has inked a strategic partnership with logistics firm DHL.
Truly, Kia is also about dependability that inspires. “The highest level of dependability that our customers experience with our vehicles is the same level they will experience with our services. That’s how we can bring back and maintain consumer confidence in the Philippine automotive market,” Aligada concluded.
