Kia Philippines targets 15% sales growth this year

MANILA, Philippines — Automotive firm Kia Philippines hopes to sustain  its double digit growth this year, with sales expected to grow by at least 15 percent.

In an interview with reporters, Kia president Manny Aligada said the company sold around 5,000 units last year,  up 34 percent from the previous year.

“Industry will grow by 10 percent (industry outlook), Kia at least 15 percent. So we always outperform the industry,” Aligada said.

He also sees  Kia’s sales hitting a little less than 6,000 units this year.

Aligada cited supply issues and competitive pressures with more brands coming into the market, as some of the things to consider.

“The other points that we’re looking at is that the economy is stable, the forex will be more stable,”he said.

The Kia Philippines official also expressed hope that interest rates would also be managed because it affects loans.

Last week, Kia launched the EV6, its first electric vehicle in the Philippine market.

Aligada said they are targeting to sell at least 50 units of the EV6 this year.

“But judging from the discussions we’ve had with a lot of interested parties, we’re trying to prepare for a little bit more. We’d be delighted if we could hit close to a 100. What we have to work on is to get supplies,” he said.

The EV6 GT-Line offers a fully-electric, zero-emission powertrain configuration with a long-range (77.4 kilowatthour) high-voltage battery pack. It can travel over 500 kms on a single charge.

Kia said charging options for the EV6 would be manufactured by Ayala-led Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. and its partner Greenstrum, and would be supported by an expanding charging system network provided by Ayala Land.