- Kia Motors India becomes the first OEM to reach the milestone that too within just 16 months of sales operations in the country
- One out of two Kia cars sold in India is a connected car
New Delhi, December 16, 2020: Kia Motors India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation, became the first carmaker of the country to attain 100,000 unit sales of connected cars. Kia vehicles equipped with UVO connect in-car technology contributes more than 55% of the total sales of the brand in India. The top selling connected car variant is the Seltos GTX Plus DCT 1.4T Petrol which contributed to almost 15% of the total connected car sales.
As a disruptor brand and a strong market challenger, Kia strives to stay ahead of the curve in terms of technological innovation by facilitating an enhanced drive experience for its customers. Kia’s growth trajectory in such a limited time period, amid the stiff competition in the market showcases how innovation is imperative to be able to cater to the new-age Indian consumer.
Commenting on the technology superiority, Mr. Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors India said, “For today’s internet-savvy generation, a car should be their extension in every aspect including connectivity which can ease mobility. Our advanced UVO connect technology is a breakthrough effort in this direction which integrates smart devices with our cars for enabling a seamless, safer and memorable drive experience. Technology has always been at the focal point since our maiden launch in the country and we are elated to achieve one more milestone in car connectivity.”
The rapid adoption of Kia’s connected cars reiterates evolving customer’s preference towards a technology-led exceptional driving experience, coupled with great connectivity. With its customer-centricity and innovation first approach, Kia offers a plethora of options for an enhanced ownership experience with its three segment leading products.
UVO connect is an advanced, dynamic, and innovative connected car solution that seamlessly integrates your smartphone/smartwatch, car, and its infotainment system into a single unit offering a matchless connected car experience. It is Kia’s continued quest to provide advanced technology which makes driving safer, convenient and enjoyable. It is equipped with 57 smart features and comes with 3-year free subscription for its customers and can also be connected to Smart Watch (based on Android, iOS and Tizen operating systems) making connectivity seamless and convenient. The UVO Connect in-car technology features several voice commands under nine categories which includes Calling, Weather Information, Time and Date, Indian Holiday Information, Cricket Score, Media Control, Navigation Control and Climate Control’. Additionally, the UVO – Voice Assist wake up Command activates the UVO by simply saying “Hello Kia”, making it a natural extension during the drive.
UVO Connect technology has not only provided a unique connected experience but has also proven to be tremendously useful and widely appreciated by customers due to its safety and connectivity features such as Remote engine start/stop, Stolen Vehicle Immobilisation, Auto Collision Notification and Remote Smart pure Air On, Live Car tracking amongst others.
About Kia Motors India (KMI)
In April 2017, Kia Motors signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility in Anantapur District, completed, and commenced the mass production in August 2019. The manufacturing facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. Kia Motors India has launched three vehicles for Indian market – The Seltos, The Carnival and The Sonet and has made a mark in India with product and service quality and reliability. The Seltos, establishing itself as a trusted product by brand Kia, has crossed 100,000 sales milestone in just one year of its sales period. Kia Motors is globally known to make quality vehicles, which address the gaps in the automotive market, and Seltos too have won many accolades in India. Tasting initial success, third product of Kia Motors India the Sonet has secured 6523 bookings on the first day of commencement of pre-bookings. In April 2020, Kia’s two global products Telluride and Soul EV have bagged world’s most prestigious automotive awards – The World Car of the Year and The Urban Car of the Year respectively at the WCOTY 2020. Kia Motors India has the widespread network of 265 customer touchpoints, in 160 cities across Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities in India.
