Kia Motors (Lanka), the sole local distributor for the stylish Korean automobile brand, has opened a sparkling new showroom and service center in Kurunegala as part of a dealer development initiative being rolled out in Sri Lanka.
Designed and equipped to international standards and guidelines stipulated by Kia, the Rs. 130 million facilities are designated a ‘3S’ Kia Centre, offering Sales, Service, and Spares at a prime location on the Colombo-Kurunegala road.
Speaking at the formal opening of the new center, Kia Motors (Lanka) Ltd Managing Director Mahen Thambiah said: “This is an important milestone in Kia’s growth in Sri Lanka because this is the first of many outstation service centers envisaged in our dealer development program.”
The dealer development plan would be based on Kia Motors (Lanka) making investments to build in key towns, facilities equipped with the tooling specified and required by Kia Motors, and thereafter franchising the dealerships, enabling the dealers to have better interaction with the customer within their areas. For Kurunegala, M/s Cross-border Motors has been selected, with discussions on to finalize the operations under the supervision and technical support from Kia Motors.
Purpose-built just four kilometers from the Kurunegala city precincts, the new facility is the first Kia franchise dealership and service center to be opened in Sri Lanka by Kia Motors (Lanka).
The 3S Kia Centre will initially provide customers a comprehensive facility for regular maintenance and car care together with the capability of light repairs. A spacious showroom will display some of the most popular models of Kia’s SUVs, Sedans, Hatchbacks, and commercial vehicles.
Mr.Thambiah said the siting of the center in Kurunegala would serve the needs of a large number of Kia users in a wide catchment area that, besides Kurunegala and surrounding towns, would extend as far as Kandy, Dambulla, and Anuradhapura.
The new showroom and car care center is supported by extensive customer parking facilities, a comfortable customer lounge, and a sophisticated wastewater treatment plant to ensure an environment-friendly operation.
Kia Motors (Lanka), which has represented the Kia brand in Sri Lanka since 1996, was adjudged the ‘Most Improved’ distributor in the region at the 2014 Asia-Pacific Parts Conference of MOBIS – the spare parts division of the Kia-Hyundai Group. In May 2013, the company was adjudged Kia’s ‘Distributor of Distinction’ in acknowledgment of ‘Professionalism of the Highest Degree and Outstanding Sales Performance in the Asia Region.’
A maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart, Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Over 2.7 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in 10 manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 150 countries. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan – ‘The Power to Surprise’ – represents the company’s global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.
