There’s a lot of exciting news over at Kia Philippines. For starters, longtime Kia Philippines Manny Aligada will be retiring by the end of June 2023. Succeeding him will be Brian Buendia, and he’s excited to take the helm at Kia.
Not only is there a changing of the guard, but the company also says we can expect a whole host of new models to come in the next twelve months. The Kia Philippines team gave some clues for what’s about to happen to the product lineup soon. They mentioned one electric vehicle, one hybrid, and a pair of traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) models.
Of course, the company didn’t mention any specifics, but here are the four next-gen Kia models we might see here soon.
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EV: Kia EV9
This is the model most likely to arrive under if we’re talking about electric power. Besides, it’s also the latest electric model from the brand, and Kia Philippines is already offering the sport EV6. If Kia Philippines wants a bigger share of the EV market in the country, offering a battery-powered large crossover might be the ticket.
Also, it looks so darn cool.
Hybrid: Kia Sportage
Wait, isn’t the Sportage a diesel? Well, yes, but the crossover is also available with hybrid power in its home market of South Korea, Europe, and North America. It’s a good guess, and a logical one given that the compact crossover class has several electrified offerings. Locally, there’s just the Toyota RAV4, but the rest of the Sportage’s competitors (CR-V, Forester, X-Trail) have hybrid options.
ICE-powered model 1: Kia Carens
If Kia wants to boost its presence in the Philippines even further, it should consider entering the subcompact seven-seater market. That’s where the Carens comes in.
The Carens is not a new nameplate in the Philippines. The previous generation was offered in the early 2010s and was discontinued by Kia’s previous local distributor. Now, the Carens has emerging countries as its primary market, meaning it’s more affordable than the older model. It also rides on the same platform as the Hyundai Stargazer. This model could be the key to more sales, especially since the only multi-row seat vehicles in the local Kia lineup are the Sorento and Carnival.
ICE-powered model 2: Kia Sonet
Kia Philippines doesn’t have a shortage of crossovers. After all, it has models such as the Stonic, Seltos, and, of course, the flagship Sorento. As it is, the Stonic is the least expensive crossover in the local lineup, but there is a bit of a gap between it and the Seltos. That gap could be filled in by the Sonet, a small crossover that’s about the length of the Stonic, but offers more ground clearance.
Bonus: Kia Soul
Why not, right?
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Those are the models we think Kia Philippines will be launching in the next twelve months. Of course, this is not a definitive list and a few of these models could be released beyond Kia Philippines' twelve-month target.
But whether it's able to launch four models on twelve months or not, Kia's is making a lot of buzz at the moment. It's proof that there are exciting times ahead for South Korean brand in the Philippines.
