JEDDAH: Kia Motors, South Korea's major automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Seoul, on Tuesday outlined its expansion plans across Saudi Arabia.
"We have definite plans for expanding our operations all over the Kingdom with new investments," Abdullah Alsafi, marketing manger of Al-Jabr Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Kia Motors in the Kingdom, told a press conference at the Jeddah Auto Mall on Tuesday.
"We already have showrooms in Riyadh, Dammam and Abha aside from Jeddah, and are planning to open new showrooms and service centers at other strategic places across the Kingdom," he said. Marking the conference was the unveiling of Kia Motors' two-month "The power to surprise" summer promotion, which includes no down payment, no administration charges and no fees for registration and plates.
It also covers a three-year buy back guarantee, a five-year manufacturer warranty, free total insurance, full accident repair and five-year roadside assistance.
The promotion is aimed at Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr when Saudis usually make their new car purchases.
The terms of the offer begin with no down payment or, alternatively, Kia will match up to 25 percent of any down payment made. As an option, if the purchasing is lease-to-own, Kia will pay two of the installments. No guarantor is required, Maher Khader, national sales manager-retail at Al-Jabr Automotive-Kia Motors, said.
Asked about Kia Motors' vision, he said: "We have a clear vision for both world and Saudi markets. We are committed to surpassing customer expectations through continuous innovation by adding value to our products.
We want to improve our market share in the Saudi market, which is highly competitive. So, we want to be the first in this market with our 2010 models.
We have a wide range of models covering all segments and our aim is to offer as many facilities and concessions as possible for the prospective car buyers," he added.
By K.S. Ramkumar
© Arab News 2009
