Kia Australia working on Order To Deliver program, more personalization options

Kia Australia is planning to offer more color and trim options, as well as a shorter time between placing an order and having your vehicle start production.

It’s no secret that the Korean brand offers a number of exterior and interior color and trim options in the domestic and overseas markets that are not normally available in Australia.

That could change within the next two years, according to Kia’s local chief executive, Damien Meredith.

“We always try to keep things as simple as possible,” Mr. Meredith said. auto expert.

“If we had product planning their way, we would have 15 colors [for everything], but we like to keep things pretty tight and simple. But with OTD (Order to Deliver) it happens.”

“That happens when a customer comes in and says, ‘I want this, this, this and this,’ and after 90 days they’re going to put their car into production. It won’t happen tomorrow, but in the next few years it will.

Mr Meredith and Roland Rivero, general manager of product planning at Kia Australia, confirm that a wider selection of colors and trim options will be part of this process.

Unlike parent company Hyundai, Kia’s local division rarely offers a full catalog of colors and upholstery, let alone anything other than black, even in high-end models. .

Currently, the fuse is the only model in Kia’s lineup in Australia to offer more than one interior option, with the GT-Line and GT offering a choice of black or red upholstery depending on the exterior colour.

In the past the sport, Sorento and Carnival has also offered locally subdued interior options, but with current generations Kia Australia has reduced them to just one option.

For example, the current Sorento and Sportage offer several options in South Korea, with the former offering Navy Gray and Saddle Brown leather options as well as a six-seat configuration not available in Australia, in when Sportage offers additional gray / blue and brown leather interior options.

The popular Carnival people transporter offers several overseas seating configurations on an eight-seat interior that is the only local option, including 9- and 11-seat layouts with four rows of seats, as well as a Luxury High Limousine version will order one Mercedes-Benz V-Class to be ashamed.

While it is unclear exactly what additional options will be included in the Australian catalog in the coming years, for customers who want more choice and more personalization options – and in the know In my review of Kia’s online ownership groups, there are many of these – this will be a welcome change moving forward.

Stay tuned auto expert for the latest information on this new initiative over the next 18 months. We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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