[svgallery name="2010_Kia_Seoul_preview"]
By John LeBlanc
On a
recent trip to
Hyundai-Kia Motors world headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, attending media had some time to chat with Kia head pen, Peter Schreyer. While the discussions centred around the brand's’s new European-influenced (Schreyer is a former Audi designer) styling, inevitably, the topic turned to all the automaker’s up market brand aspirations and its rock-and-a-hard-place its put itself in with its vehicle naming strategy.
You see, the forthcoming
2012 Kia Optima and Cadenza sedans aren't called that outside of North America. Instead, Kia uses a more Teutonic alphanumeric system: the Optima is the
K (as in Kia, get it?)
5; the Cadenza the
K7, a strategy Kia's vice chairman, Chung Eui-sun, believes can “strengthen” the brand. But the experience of other brands going down this name changing path should be heeded.
Most experts now consider
Acura’s switch of its well known
Legend and
Integra nameplates to
RL and
RSX a marketing flop. The criticism mainly aimed at the idea of throwing a well-established franchise in hopes of expanding into other customer segments. Which, is exactly what Kia wants to do as well.
So what do you think?
Some Kia car names, like the
Soul and
Sorrento, are now becoming part of our car culture. Is it a risk to rebadge them as say, the
K-this or
K-that?
Do you think Kia copying the typically German naming system puts the rising Korean brand in the same light as
Audi,
BMW or
Mercedes?
[Source: Automotive News]
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