Kia will definitely win this wave.

On March 20th, "2023 Kia China New Energy Strategy Conference" was held in Shanghai as scheduled.

At the meeting, Kia Global CEO Song personally stood on the podium. At the same time, Zhang Naiwen, Chairman of Da Yue Group and Chairman of Kia in Da Yue, Jiangsu Province, and Jin Jingxian, General Manager of Kia in Da Yue, Jiangsu Province, came to the scene to announce China's new energy strategy and formally announced their entry into the electric vehicle market in China.

According to the plan, Kia will achieve sales of 6.5438+0.6 million EV in 2030, and at least one new energy vehicle based on pure electric platform will be launched every year from 2023.

"All talk and no practice", Kia specially brought three global models: EV5 concept car, EV9 concept car and EV6 GT. Among them, the EV6 GT with a top speed of 260km/h will be the first to enter China through imports and is expected to be listed in August this year; EV5, which made its world debut that night, will be listed in this year165438+1October; The flagship product "production model of EV9" is planned to be listed in China next year.

Moreover, Kia China's new energy strategy also includes the construction of technology, sales and services around brand development. As Song emphasized, "China's automobile market is constantly innovating and developing, which is changing with each passing day. Ensuring the success of China market is the core element of Kia's global strategy ". This shows the significance of China market in Kia's global strategic layout, and Kia's determination to deepen the China market.

On the other hand, can the final outcome be as expected?

In this respect, AutoWiki is in favor, just like the brand innovation strategy of New Kia released last year. At that time, it also carried out innovation and upgrading in many dimensions such as brand, product, channel, service and marketing, in exchange for the cumulative sales of more than 2.9 million new cars in 2022 and the seventh place in the world for a single automobile brand.

On the other hand, this year's wave of operations, taking advantage of the new energy outlet, can also get what they want with great probability. After all, KIA has done so much preparatory work. Where the "Acceleration Key" is pressed, it is obvious that the whole "Forward, Down and Forward" (Greater Zhao Lian) will definitely win.

Deeply cultivate the China market

First of all, as soon as you enter the venue, you will find that the interactive area in front of you is full of immersive experiences.

There is a 3.5-second speed exhibition area with great visual impact, a 100-meter accelerated test ride experience that makes your adrenaline soar instantly, and a refreshing ultra-fast charging exhibition area. I have to say that this "appetizer" really hangs the appetite of the car wiki, and people can't help wondering what Kia will give to China consumers.

In fact, this expectation has not failed, especially when the screen behind Song released big photos of three models: "EV5 concept car", "EV9 concept car" and "EV6 GT", Che Wiki felt more and more that "this can be done".

Because EV6 GT is a star model widely praised by Kia.

Moreover, on a global scale, EV6 not only won two awards of European Model of the Year in 2022 and North American Model of the Year in 2023, but also successfully entered the top three in the final round of "World Performance Car in 2023" with 3.5s 100-kilometer acceleration and excellent 800V ultra-high-speed charging system.

In addition, the EV5 concept car is the world's first appearance, and it is also the first global model produced by Kia in China and listed for the first time, which is of great significance. Its arrival, in the view of car wiki, can be said to announce the arrival of Kia's brand-new design era.

As Karim Habib, KIA's global design director, said at the press conference, "KIA EV5 concept car perfectly embodies the design concept of the unity of opposites between natural aesthetics and architectural technology, aiming to bring inspiration to every journey of customers." So you will find that the EV5 concept car is full of avant-garde, strength and futurity from all angles.

At the same time, the design concept of "unity of opposites" is also vividly reflected in the car, especially in the material. Because of the harmony with nature, the environmental protection elements in the EV5 concept car can be seen everywhere, such as seats, doors, dashboards and ceilings, which are all made of seaweed extracts, recycled plastics or "skinless" and other environmental protection materials.

In addition, the second generation remote control intelligent parking assistance system (RSPA2) was first applied to Kia Motors listed in China. For example, it will be equipped with expressway Driver Assistance System (HDA2), Front/Side/Rear Parking Collision Avoidance Assistance (PCA) and Parking Distance Warning (PDW) which can change lanes semi-automatically.

As for the EV9 concept car, it is also an extraordinary arrival. Debuted in China for the first time, it is a master of Kia, positioning the flagship electric SUV.

First of all, styling design can be said to be something that Kia products didn't have before. This clarity is a bit primitive and wild. Among them, the re-integrated front face not only uses vertical headlights, but also integrates star-shaped iconic lighting, which is highly recognizable. At the same time, it is not difficult to see from the high ground clearance and the matching triangular fender that the off-road performance of this car is bound to be a bright spot.

Secondly, thanks to the exclusive modular platform E-GMP for Kia electric vehicles, the length of the vehicle is over 5000mm, and the wheelbase is 3100 mm. In terms of space, especially in terms of driving and storage, the car Wiki thinks it is extremely plastic.

Of course, the 800V ultra-fast charging system and L3 autopilot are also available. At the same time, it also provides a variety of power combinations such as basic version/endurance version, single motor/dual motor.

supporting technology

"We have established corporate vision, a sustainable mobile travel solution provider, and based on the future-oriented" ‘Plan S' "strategy, we have established the core of" all-round transformation to electrification ". Kia plans to achieve EV sales of 6.5438+600,000 vehicles by 2030 and consolidate its leading brand position in the global electric vehicle market, "Song said at the press conference.

In all fairness, 6,543,800+6,000 vehicles are still challenging. It is not enough to lay out various market segments only by "price war", misplaced competition or "automobile naval battle". As the saying goes, "it takes hard work to strike while the iron is hot." To gain a foothold in the new energy market, technology is the last word, both in China and in the world.

To this end, Kia plans that by 2025, all its models will realize "software-defined cars", bringing users a safe, comfortable and innovative new travel experience.

Not only that, Kia also plans to launch L3-class autonomous driving technology in 2024, and gradually expand the application and popularization of new driverless technologies such as driverless and high-order driverless. At the same time, it also has a new generation of E-corner module technology, and with the help of 180 independent rotating four wheels, the vehicle can move laterally and make a 360-degree U-turn.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that AutoWiki observed that at the press conference, five well-known large dealer groups, Sammi, Jinlong, New Hanma, Kone and Badri, all signed strategic cooperation agreements with Kia.

It seems that Kia is striving to break through the physical boundaries of automobiles and provide users with seamless freedom of movement and differentiated customized mobile service experience from the aspects of robots, personalized customized models and urban air travel.

Reshape the pattern

China has always been one of the most important markets for Kia's global strategy. In particular, Song's visit to China and his attendance at the press conference showed that Kia attached importance to the China market and was determined to reshape the new pattern.

In fact, in addition to the three models mentioned above, Kia will also increase investment in research and development of electrification technology, and focus on four technical directions of mobile travel, electrification, internet technology and autonomous driving through China Forward Digital R&D Center to develop more electric vehicle products that meet the needs of China users.

And not only in terms of products, but also in order to further establish a brand-new image in China, Kia has blossomed more.

For example, in terms of channel construction, one is to speed up the global unified SI 2.0 upgrade of dealer stores nationwide, bringing more professional terminal car purchase and service experience to users; the other is to cooperate with large domestic dealer groups, accelerate the establishment and operation of Kia City stores in the core business districts of first-and second-tier cities, and expand the channel network of brands and electric vehicles.

For example, in terms of charging supporting services, in addition to providing personal household charging pile facilities and installation services, Kia also plans to cooperate with Shell to build a brand fast charging station equipped with 800V fast charging piles. It takes only 18 minutes to charge the power from 10% to 80%, which brings more efficient charging service to users; In addition, it plans to cooperate with domestic mainstream charging operators to further expand and improve the basic charging network, and then build a diversified charging service system.

For another example, Kia will officially launch the brand APP this year, opening up the brand private domain ecology, covering all fields such as car purchase, car use, maintenance, service and replacement. At the same time, it will become an important carrier of "Kia Meta-Universe", linking the virtual content world with the real life of buying and using cars, and further satisfying users' beautiful imagination of future travel.

Write it at the end

With the penetration rate of new energy vehicles approaching 30%, the electrification era in China has officially arrived, so Kia's move is not only seamless, but also very timely. Therefore, we have reason to believe that Kia can cope with the rapid changes in the China market and complete the gorgeous transformation to an electrified brand with this conference as the starting point.

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