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Kia Fleet: Continuing to Meet the Needs of Customers

Autosphere » Fleet » Kia Fleet: Continuing to Meet the Needs of Customers

Ride and Drive emphasized quality products, top tier service and flexibility in meeting client requirements.

When assessing vehicle needs, fleets want to ensure that the OEMs they partner with recognize their specific requirements. Not only that but getting a chance to sample the vehicles in person helps give them a true feel of what’s available, how it can be utilized, as well as the opportunity to ask specific questions to fleet representatives from that OEM.

At Kia Fleet in Canada, the importance of understanding this is a critical element to the company’s fleet operations. And Autosphere got to witness that firsthand during a special fleet Ride and Drive program in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe.

A complete lineup of vehicles

The event, which took place on October 3-4, saw fleet customers, upfitters, and fleet management company representatives all get an opportunity to sample a complete lineup of vehicles, on a planned drive route from Mississauga, Ontario, to Niagara-on-the-Lake and back.

Kia Fleet specifically brought along a range of vehicles designed to appeal to fleet customers, including the popular Carnival minivan, as well as the Seltos, Sorento, Sportage and Telluride SUVs, plus the all-electric Niro EV, EV6 and EV9.

Spencer Watson, National Sales Manager, Fleet Sales for Kia Canada, acknowledges that while the last few years have been very tough for fleet managers, and vehicle availability continues to be a challenge—from the OEM perspective it’s important to ensure regular communication between auto manufacturers and their fleet customers. That’s why Kia is continuing to place a strong emphasis on vehicles and solutions that are cost effective and adaptable.

Updates

Prior to the ride and drive, Watson provided an overview of the program as well as the latest updates regarding Kia’s fleet business. He talked about the brand image upgrade that’s happening at retail locations across the country and also the new product that’s being introduced. “Every vehicle we introduce is reflected on our brand today which is better, and stronger, but still offers the core fundamentals that have made Kia such a success in the marketplace,” he said. “They are competitively priced, reliable, and offer some of the best warranties in the business.”

 Watson also noted that while some vehicles continue to experience high demand, such as the Carnival, particularly as an alternative to traditional commercial panel vans, others such as the Sorento and Sportage are also proving popular for those needing suitable rep and supervisory vehicles.

Kia Fleet Specialist Carolina Romero explained that on the fleet side, 2024 has been an encouraging year for Kia and a significant improvement over 2023 with more robust ETAs for vehicles. “We are very happy that we have not had to operate within the same constraints we witnessed last year.”

She also noted that order banks are already open for 2025, and the Kia Canada fleet team is happy to have early conversations regarding product, ordering and volumes of vehicles for specific fleet customers to mitigate any potential issues regarding limited availability of certain models. “If you have a lot of customers and a lot of volume, we can certainly help you plan those orders over the span of several months,” stated Romero. 

Electric vehicles

She noted that Kia’s electrified vehicle offerings continue to grow in popularity and this year’s ride and drive provided a great opportunity to showcase Kia’s latest EVs.

While the EV landscape, particularly related to battery electrics is constantly evolving, Kia continues to forge ahead in offering BEV models that are designed to combine zero tailpipe emissions, with solid levels of versatility and practicality.

A good example is the EV9, which represents a unique offering, being the first three-row, competitively priced battery-electric SUV in its segment.

Autosphere got an opportunity to drive the EV9 for a good portion of the event, and we found it to be solidly built, quiet, with refined on-road manners, outstanding acceleration and a great deal of usable passenger and luggage space. The EV9 is offered in both rear and all-wheel drive, and with standard and extended range battery packs. What’s interesting is how familiar it feels to drive, and perfectly complements the three-row internal combustion engine Telluride, providing those that are not familiar with EVs the opportunity to adjust quickly to all-electric propulsion in a large SUV package.

Mid-size package

The EV9 is complemented by the smaller EV6, which receives a refresh for 2025. Updated front and rear styling, as well as a new wheel design are key elements. The EV6 is designed to appeal to a broad range of customers and budgets, making it an attractive option for fleets that are looking for a versatile mid-size, all-electric crossover. Offered in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive powertrains, the EV6 boasts generous passenger space, practical interior storage, cutting edge styling, and exhilarating performance, particularly in the higher trim levels. The EV6’s 77.4 kW/h battery pack enables this sporty crossover to cover a distance of 499* km on a single charge, and, using a fast charger, 80% of battery capacity can be achieved in as little as 18 minutes. Using a level 2 unit, the battery can be fully charged in approximately seven hours.

For those fleets looking at electric power in an even more nimble package, Kia also offers the battery electric version of its Niro compact crossover. With a focus on efficiency, and a range of 385 km, the Niro EV is designed primarily for urban commutes, with surefooted handling, peppy performance at highway speeds and generous cargo capacity relative to its size. With a Level 2 charger, the Niro EV’s battery pack can be recharged in under seven hours; while using a Fast Charger, the battery can reach 80% battery capacity in approximately 45 minutes.

New safety and convenience features

Electrification continues to proliferate across the Kia lineup, not only with specific EV models but also in new safety and convenience features. For the 2025 model year, a big change in a number of Kia models and trim levels (including all variations of the new K4 compact sedan), is fully digital instrumentation, replacing conventional gauges with a single large screen that dominates the dashboard. The aim is to provide added safety and functionality while driving, including exterior camera views that are incorporated directly into the instrument cluster and function when turning or manoeuvring the vehicle, providing added visibility when it’s most needed.

Kia Fleet continues to focus on elevating its fleet operations, offering quality products that deliver on price, reliability and functionality while at the same time, providing first rate customer service, competitive pricing and flexibility in working with fleets, whether large or small.

For more details visit kia.ca/en/vehicles/fleet.

*Under ideal charging conditions

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