Honestly, when you see someone drive by in a Kia, your first thought is not “they have really made something of themselves". Not like a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW, Kia is more of an affordable car that allows middle-class individuals a new car smell with upgrades, but it isn’t anything near a luxury vehicle, or is it?
There may soon be a change in the industry and the hearts of consumers when they see the new rollout of the Kia. Known more for Mom vans and low-grade sedans, the upgrades that Kia includes in their newest models may not have caught wind yet, but they soon will. Once the cat gets out of the bag that you don’t have to spend a fortune, sometimes as much as a mortgage, to get class and luxury out of your transportation, Kia may just be highly sought out by consumers who have the money for something more. The wealthy may choose not to spend it if they don’t have to.
Many were shocked, literally, when J.D.Power and Associates Survey released last week on quality ranked Kia highest against such heavy hitters as Lexus, Porsche, and more common brands such as Toyota. It is the very first time in a Power’s Quality survey that a non-luxury branded car has been able to make it to the top ranking in over 27 years. One of the biggest advertising boosts that any car maker is looking for, this is a huge potential windfall for the likes of a smaller car maker like Kia.
A Korean brand car, there were very few who would ever guess that they could pull off a top ranking and produce a car that is affordable to the masses. The most shocked people were likely the luxury-car makers who work very hard behind the scenes coming up with new luxurious features for their high-priced cars and engines. Although finishing tops against all non-luxury cars last year for style, mechanics, finishing quality and fit, no one really saw the potential that they could overtake the luxury class as well. That simply is unheard of, especially when so much of it has to do with branding and name brands.
Attributed to their success is their decade-long desire to pay close attention to their competition and to make a car that has an excellent reputation not just in one field, but across them. They never tried to shake their branding by doing away with what they are known for, an affordable vehicle that is kid and family-friendly, they instead went to work on making the cars they produced something that topped the market.
For years, Hyundai, their biggest native competitor, has also been trying to make their way up the rankings but has not had the ability to rank number one. A huge rival, they have common ownership, but they operate on a very different vehicle ideal and platform. Although coming from the same region of the world and using many of the same parts, there is a rivalry between the two companies that must have Kia-makers on cloud nine.
What are they doing differently?
Anyone who has been inside of a Kia within the past couple of model years has no doubt noticed a higher attention to the quality of ride that it produces as well as the luxurious feel of the interior. No plastic of pleather seating that makes your thighs stick and never wears in, the interior of the newly designed Kia is all about sitting back and enjoying the ride. There is also no doubt that driving the new ratings is the fact that consumers are thankful that someone has made a vehicle that feels like you spent a million bucks but doesn’t pass that expense onto the consumer.
