There’s a light at the end of the supply chain tunnel as manufacturers plan for a better 2024.
Vehicle shortages have been the norm for the past few years. Fortunately, the situation seems to be improving slowly. Kia Canada recently announced that they will once again be accepting fleet orders for delivery in 2024.
Speaking at a Ride & Drive event in Toronto, Spencer Watson, National Sales Manager, National Fleet Sales for Kia Canada stressed that the order to delivery timeline on fleet orders should improve next year, with the Vancouver port strike having been resolved earlier this year.
Increased availability
Watson explained that Kia Fleet’s goal for the coming year is to have better availability across many models and to have limited availability on some models not previously part of the Fleet program, like the Niro EV and EV6. The Kia Carnival, however, will continue to be difficult for fleets to order in larger numbers. “Demand has been extremely strong,” Watson explained, “and we’re having trouble keeping up with demand.”
Another big seller for Kia is the Seltos. “Overall, the Seltos is our biggest volume seller,” Watson explained. “We sell more Seltos than anything else, and it’s a great option for fleet customers who do not require a large SUV, and who want to benefit from the Seltos’ low fuel consumption.”
Kia’s order books
Watson announced that starting October 8, Kia Canada will be opening their order books for fleet customers, adding that it will generally take between three to four months for Kia to deliver fleet vehicles, after they’ve been ordered. “Rest assured we will do our best to accommodate your needs,” he added.
As far as fleet incentives and pricing go, Watson said that what’s in effect at the time of delivery is what will prevail. “We were one of the few to continue to offer fleet incentives and vehicles throughout the supply shortages,” Watson added. “I acknowledge that we could not fill every order requested. We’ve done our best to fill as many as we can.”
While the increased availability is good news indeed, Watson explained that Kia Canada Fleet won’t have inventory on the ground throughout 2024. “So these will be factory orders,” he explained. “In other words, for most of next year, we don’t anticipate being in a position where we will be able to fill orders from on-ground inventory. We’re still going to order cars for fleet orders from the factory, and spread larger volume orders out over the year.”
ICE & EV
That said, as of October 8, Kia’s entire lineup of ICE vehicles will be available to order, along with the Niro EV. “That’s exciting,” Watson added, “because EVs have not really been available for fleets customers. So for now, the Niro EV will be available to order.”
For more information, Watson said fleet customers should reach out to Theodore Kim, Regional Fleet Supervisor, Kia Canada at [email protected] or (905) 301-9135.
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