News & Updates
KIA DISPLAY A MAJOR HIT AT THE 3RD PIMS
Where
thousands came to watch the new cars on show at the 3rd Philippine
International Motor Show that closed over the weekend at the Philippine World
Trade Center, a great number of them trooped to the Kia display to see what’s
with the new tiger-nose grille that is the hallmark of the Korean automaker’s
new brand identity.
Kia’s new
design identity that mimics a tiger’s roaring countenance, marks a dramatic
shift in the Korean company’s design philosophy. Introduced by Kia’s new Chief
Design Officer, the celebrated artist and visionary Peter Schreyer, the “Kia Tiger-Nose
Grille” will be consistently applied in all forthcoming Kia models in much the
same way the two kidney-shaped face had become familiarly identified with BMW.
Felix J.
Mabilog, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer of Columbian Autocar
Corporation (CAC), authorized distributor of Kia in the
“Mr.
Schreyer who designed the Audi TT and Volkswagen had early on realized the need
for a trademark design for Kia, one that will gradually alter the public
perception of our vehicles from encompassing value, quality and reliability to
that of a market leader in style and craftsmanship,” says Mabilog.
“This is
the reason why we have made the tiger-nose grille design the platform of our
display at the PIMS. This being a Tiger
year, we also consider 2010 the Year of Kia,” Mabilog adds.
On exhibit
at the Kia central display is the stylish luxury sedan Cadenza, an upscale
model that made its overseas premier at the
Joining the
Cadenza are the Kia Sorento in 7-seater and 5-seater versions, Kia Soul, Kia
Forte Koup, Kia Rio and the Kia Picanto.
The
Sorento, in 7-seater and 5-seater configurations is Kia’s Highline
Cruiser. A longer, lower and sleeker
SUV, it comes with a host of new attributes that deliver genuine customer
benefits. Both its exterior and interior features offer “stand out looks,”
injecting fresh visual excitement into the SUV segment. The Sorento exemplifies the brand’s core
philosophy of producing safe, comfortable and appealing vehicles.
The Kia
Soul is Korean carmaker’s major offering to the young and the young-at-heart,
an outstanding urban crossover vehicle.
Featuring a revolutionary and “out-of-the-box” design, the Soul offers
impressive personalization and customization options, safety features and fuel
economy.
The Kia Forte
Koup offers sporty features and capabilities that make Kia’s first-ever
two-door model a true driver’s car. Its design styling is muscular yet
sophisticated, fluid and with balanced proportions, evoking a personal and
emotional driving experience. This,
along with the car’s value and safety features offer excitement to customers in
search of a sporty and aggressive car.
The Kia Rio,
on the other hand, is Kia’s sub-compact entry.
Distinguished by its spaciousness and versatility, the brand’s design
transformation easily integrates style with value, safety features and utility.
Kia’s
super-mini, the Kia Picanto has a well-rounded, friendly appeal enhanced by its
exterior design features. Its practicality, style, performance and economy make
a statement for a small car.
An
elaborate presentation that attracted a large audience on opening day
highlighted Kia’s display at the PIMS. The show featured the dramatic chanteuse
Dulce, the Madrigal Singers and Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance in a 3-part scenic
cantata.
Entitled
“Nature Calls – A Night at the Savannah,” the musical and dance triptych harked
back to a nature unspoiled by man, where the tigers and its denizens are free
to roam the wild.
Another Kia
side attraction was the Aphelion trio, three muscular gymnasts from Ukraine, who
displayed exceptional feats of acrobatic artistry during the PIMS.
Test drives
of Kia vehicles were also made available during the four-day car exhibition,
resulting in closed sales for much of the Kia cars on display.
KIA ON A ROLL
REGISTERS
RECORD-BREAKING GROWTH IN BOTH LOCAL AND GLOBAL SALES
Confirming Kia
Felix J. Mabilog, Jr., Columbian Autocar Corporation
(CAC) President and Chief Operating Officer, attributes Kia’s record-breaking
performance to its aggressive sales and marketing efforts now in force in its
wide dealership network that already totals to 58. CAC is Kia’s authorized
distributor in the
“Competition is stiff but our dealers have creatively pushed
the Kia brand to a market that has grown in sophistication over the years,”
Mabilog says. “Our car buying public has become more mature and
intelligent, more discerning and keen in their choices. We are glad that
Kia has made it into their list of preferences due to its value for money,
good performance and fuel efficiency,” he adds.
Confirming that Kia is one of the world’s top-of-mind
brands, Kia Motors Corporation announced a total of 180,930 units sold in July
2010, or a year-on-year increase of 26% in global sales. Kia also
reported a healthy year-on-year increase in all sales regions: 60% in general
markets, 30% in
Mabilog sees Kia’s sales in both local and global markets to
stay upward, “We have very good cars, technologically-superior and fuel
efficient in many respects compared to its competitors,” Mabilog says. “We also
see the rise of discriminating customers who pick cars on the basis of
performance and not on brand preference. That market is expanding and that is
where Kia will shine,” he reasons.
CAC distributes and markets locally the Kia Sorento,
Sportage, Carnival, Carens, Soul, Rio, Picanto and K2700.
MABILOG IS 2010 C! MAG'S POCHOLO RAMIREZ ACHIEVEMENT AWARDEE
FELIX J. MABILOG, JR., President and Chief
Operating Officer (COO) of Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), was the
recipient of this year’s Pocholo Ramirez Achievement Award handed out at
ceremonies that coincided with this year’s C! Awards held at One Esplanade,
The Pocholo Ramirez Memorial Award, which was named after the late Philippine racing legend, is conferred on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Philippine automotive industry. Mabilog is the second such recipient of the award instituted in 2009.
In his acceptance speech, Mabilog cited C! magazine, its publishers and editorial staff for their continuing work to promote the Philippine car industry through their authoritative publication. He also thanked the family members of the late Pocholo Ramirez who were present at the awards night.
Mabilog is largely credited for the
phenomenal rise and dynamic growth of Kia in the
With a career spanning 37 years in the car industry where he has served in various capacities – from sales and marketing to advertising, from manufacturing to after-sales service – Mabilog’s wide-ranging experience had afforded him to develop a masterful eye and understanding of the fine art of the automotive business, a skill he used deftly to propel Kia as a top-of-mind brand in the country today.
Mabilog joined Columbian Motors Group of Companies in 1992 serving first as senior vice-president for manufacturing and served in concurrent capacity as Director and consultant of Vietnam Motors. In 2005, he was appointed President and COO of CAC, a position he still holds today.KIA MOTORS HONORS 4 TOP RP DEALERS
6 local dealers also recognized for sales and
after-sales achievement
Kia recognized and honored four of its authorized dealers in the Philippines, part of Kia Motors Corporation’s (KMC) network of dealers around the world, with Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards as part of its Kia Dealer Excellence Program or K-DEP, which is the Korean car company’s major dealer enhancement program.
The K-DEP is a series of Kia dealer-focused activities
similar in concept to Ford’s Blue Oval or Chrysler’s Five Star awards, which
recognizes dealer achievement and initiative, in terms of competency,
performance, and customer satisfaction. In the
The Philippine awardees, together with their trophies, were announced during a Dealer Awards Night held at The Grove pavilion recently. Kia Pasig (Autocircle, Inc.) received the coveted Platinum Dealer Certification, a recognition only bestowed to those that would meet Kia’s Global Dealer Standards. On the other hand, Kia Dumaguete romped away with the Gold award for their achievement in Kia’s Act Smart Campaign. The Silver award was won by Kia Congressional while Kia Marikina got the Bronze Award.
The Act Smart Campaign was established by Kia Motors Service Group in 2003 to enhance its dealerships’ internal and external facilities worldwide. The method is through the so-called 3S movement of scrap, sort and sweep. In 2007, the method was enhanced, and standard evaluation was then established. Dealers that have been evaluated using the new method automatically qualify in the program. Selections of awardees are based on the relative efforts exerted by Kia dealers to improve its assessment points. Only dealers that achieve a minimum improvement from their previous standard evaluation ratings can become candidates for the award. These standard evaluation reports are uploaded to the Distributor Dealer Management System or DDMS which are then reviewed and scrutinized by KMC’s Export Planning Group, International Business Division. Based on the number of dealers that have achieved the minimum prescribed improvement and have qualified for the award, KMC then ranks the winners accordingly.
In 2006, Autocircle Inc. (known then as FEMAC, Inc.) was the recipient of the Gold Award of Kia’s Act Smart Campaign while Kia Pasay won the same award in 2005.
The program was not implemented and subjected to review in 2007 and incorporated as part of the overall Kia Dealer Excellence Program.
Meanwhile, a total of six local dealers were recognized for their outstanding Sales and After-Sales achievement. The Outstanding Sales Award is based on the total sales volume achieved by the dealership in 2009. The Outstanding After-Sales Award on the other hand is based on a set of criteria that includes facilities and operations evaluation; target achievement in the areas of workshop and parts sales; and overall support for CAC-initiated programs and policies.
This year’s overall winner for sales is Kia Cebu which also
received recognition for topping the sales in the Visayan region. Other
dealers who were cited for their outstanding sales achievement in 2009 include
Kia New Manila for Metro Manila, Kia Pampanga for Luzon and Kia Cagayan de Oro
for
After-Sales Awards were conferred on Kia Pasig for Metro
Manila, Kia Batangas for Luzon, Kia Cebu for Visayas and Kia Cagayan de Oro for
KIA HOLDS 2010 SERVICE CLINIC
Columbian Autocar Corp. (CAC), authorized distributor of Kia
in the Philippines, holds its six-week Kia Service Clinic for all Kia vehicles from
June 28 to August 7, 2010, with great discounts on parts, labor and engine oil.
Highlighting Kia’s new after-sales slogan “Family-like
Care”, a service identity unique to Kia, the service clinic aims to provide
customers with the same dedication, caring and dependability that is given to
family members. A Korean engineer from Kia Motors will work with CAC engineers
to conduct a power and performance check for all Kia cars brought for
service.They will be at Kia Cebu on June 28-29; Kia Cagayan, June 30-July 1;
Kia Alabang, July 2-3; Kia New Manila, July 5-6; and Kia Batangas, July 7-8;
Kia Pasig, July 9-10.
Exciting discounts await customers who take part in
the clinic with 25% off on parts, 20% off on labor. 20% discount on engine oil shall
be given exclusively to those availing the Preventive Maintenance Service (PMS).
A mandatory free 28 points check up will be conducted on Kia vehicles brought
to any Kia dealership for the duration of the service promo.
Free aircon check up, free body wash, interior vacuuming,
tire black application, door hinges lubrication and special give-aways also
await customers availing of the promotions.
The Kia Service Clinic is an annual service promotions
program of Kia Motors to enhance its after-sales image, to showcase its dealer
service capabilities and promote the use of Kia genuine parts. It is also
intended to ease Kia customer’s maintenance costs especially during enrolment
periods where expenses are expected to be heavy.