Kia believes it has a new lode in its hands. After the confidence expressed by the Head of Operations of Kia Europe, Emílio Herrera, in the potential of what is the first shooting brake for the C segment, created by a generalist brand, the same discourse is adopted by the Portuguese Artur Martins , vice president of Kia's European division for Marketing and New Product Planning.
In an exclusive interview with Car Ledger , during the world presentation of Kia ProCeed held in Barcelona, Martins explained not only the reasons that led to the creation of this stunning shooting brake, but also what, in terms of marketing, Kia managers hope to achieve with this unusual proposal. With the Portuguese assuming, from now on, that, with this new product, Kia wants to stop following fashion, to start dictating it!
AUTOMOTIVE REASON (AR) — Let's start, perhaps, by talking about what led Kia to decide to move into production something that, at the outset, would be nothing more than a dazzling exercise in design…
Artur Martins (AM) — The truth is that, if you think about it, there are few design exercises that Kia presents that don't go into production. In the case of this ProCeed, I believe it was never just a design exercise, but it was always seen as a proposal capable of making a difference, not only for the brand, but also for the Ceed range itself. Model that, in fact, competes in an already very mature market, historical in Europe, and from which some of the mainstream European brands were born.
RA — However, at least initially, this was a risky bet and, by the way, it may still not go well…
AM — What we initially thought, especially from the moment we decided to abandon the three-door bodywork, because the sub-segment is very small, was to design something that could capture and maintain the sporty spirit of the ProCeed Concept , presented in Frankfurt. And, at the same time, open up new opportunities in terms of sales. Also because I believe that this car, once on the street, will help the brand and Ceed himself, as a five-door product, wagon and everything else, to be more relevant in one of the particularly competitive segments of the market. And the truth is, we're looking forward to it.
“ProCeed will allow us to be an alternative to SUV fashion”
RA — So it means that Kia believes it can make sales with this ProCeed that it cannot make with the Stinger…
AM — One of the questions you often asked us when we introduced the Stinger was “OK, the Stinger is a wonderful car, but and in those segments where Kia really has the possibility to make volume, what will it match? ?”. In my opinion, the ProCeed Shooting Brake is, precisely, the direct declination of the Stinger, for segment C! Furthermore, it is a totally differentiating product in the segment, where there is nothing like it, and as such, it will allow us to seek new customers from other brands.
RA — But what about the SUV phenomenon?
AM — Nowadays, when we look at the success of SUVs, which already represent more than 45% of sales in the C-segment, we realize that those opinion-leading consumers who, in the beginning, helped to create the SUV phenomenon, by buying this type of products, they are no longer doing it. Basically because, nowadays, everyone has an SUV! Inserted in this reality, ProCeed can stand out as an excellent alternative for those consumers and trendsetters who, tired of the SUV fashion, are looking for something new and different, something trendy, but which still has a good combination of aesthetics and space .
RA — The question is whether this search for difference will result in sufficiently substantial numbers, so that it doesn't end up like the Stinger...
AM – We believe that ProCeed could be worth between 15 and 20% of the total sales of the Ceed range at European level, that is, between 130 and 140 thousand units. Although and knowing the passion that the Portuguese have for vans, I believe that, in our country, this sales mix could even be greater, in favor of Shooting Brake…
"2019 will bring very cool news"
RA — So what about electric?
AM — This year, we had the presentation of the Niro Elétrico, a model that does not have any engine exclusively powered by fossil fuels. However, we have other innovations prepared for 2019 that will help make electrification a reality, not only for Kia, but for the market itself.
RA — And the much whispered new SUV for the C-segment, will it be a reality?
AM — We must not forget that, for this segment, we already have Sportage, which is even a very successful product, even our best seller in Europe and globally. In addition to this, we also have the Niro, which is also positioned in the C segment. As such, we have to be very careful about the possible introduction of a new model in this segment, even so that it does not cannibalize existing proposals. Still, I believe that we will have some very nice news next year and that, I'm sure, you'll like a lot… Except that, unfortunately, I can't reveal anything yet!
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