KIA China Jin Jingyu： EV5 Chengdu’s world premiere will become the main force and explosion of Kia China’s electrification transformation.

[Global Network Auto Report] On August 25th, Kia China ushered in the listing of the global representative electric vehicle EV6 at the 2023 Chengdu International Auto Show, and launched the main model of the electrification transformation of Kia China in the world-EV5. It can be described as a good show and full of electricity. After the meeting, Kim Kyung-hyun, general manager of Kia China, Yang Honghai, chief operating officer of Kia China, and Park Yuhuan, head of the marketing department of Kia China, and other leaders accepted special interviews with mainstream media such as the World Wide Web.

What are the core and highlights of Kia brand communication at Chengdu International Auto Show 2023?

Kim kyung-hyun:At present, China is leading the global automobile market into the era of electrification, and the sales of new energy vehicles show explosive growth, which officially ushered in the EV era. Kia Motors is a global automobile brand with a history of nearly 80 years. It has become the core of Kia’s global strategy to gain a deep and clear insight into this trend in China’s automobile market and ensure that the EV business can achieve results in China’s automobile market. At this year’s Chengdu International Auto Show, you will see that Kia China has officially transformed into an electric car brand. The global representative electric vehicle EV6 of Kia and the main model EV5 of Kia China’s electric transformation can be said to be our biggest highlights.

EV5 made its global debut and started pre-sale. As a household electric SUV, what are the core advantages of EV5? What is Kia’s market expectation for EV5?

Kim kyung-hyun:At this Chengdu Auto Show, KIA EV5 made its world debut, and it is expected that it will be the first to be listed in China market in November this year. EV5 has a square and bold SUV style that is completely different from the EV models of the same class, spacious interior space, romantic front seats, 0-degree folding seats in the rear row, multifunctional desk board in the trunk and other functional configurations to enhance the user’s sense of use, providing an innovative vehicle experience. The 700-kilometer long battery life and 27-minute fast charging greatly alleviate the mileage anxiety in daily life and make travel more free; It is the first time to use the latest generation car entertainment system, and it is equipped with rich China localized apps such as WeChat, which supports OTA remote upgrade, and will become a "ever-changing life intelligent cabin" commonly used by users.

Based on its unique design and innovative space utilization, EV5 will bring more practicality and new value to users in daily life. It is not only a simple means of transportation, but also a close partner with life. EV5 not only has excellent product performance, but also has a competitive advantage in terms of price. It is believed that its listing will be successful in the core market of EV, thus accelerating the electrification transformation of Kia China. In addition, we hope to start with the successful listing of EV5 in China, build it into an explosive model in Kia EV product line, and also play a core role in the electrification transformation of Kia China.

As the first strategic vehicle in China, EV5 is developed for the needs of users in China. What is the core configuration and USP of this vehicle?

Kim kyung-hyun:First of all, I want to share with you from the aspect of design. EV5 is a rare orthodox SUV model in the EV market. Its bold and creative design is highlighted by its tough shape, which shows its distinctive hard-core temperament. EV5 has excellent vision, spacious interior space and long wheelbase, which can provide users with more comfortable and practical space. Secondly, EV5 upgrades the user experience in the car, and has many personalized advantages and highlights. Romantic front seats provide users with an unprecedented sense of spaciousness. The EV5 front seat backrest is also equipped with a multifunctional small table board, a central drawer-type heating and cooling incubator, and V2L external discharge, which will bring users a more comfortable car experience. Considering that users like camping and camping life scenes very much, EV5 is equipped with a second row of fully folding seats, a multifunctional desk in the trunk, a front trunk with a capacity of 67L, a movable hook and many other functions. EV5 also provides a zero-gravity main driving seat with massage function, which can be relaxed with one button, and can also be used when charging, thus greatly improving comfort and efficiency.

Secondly, EV5 has excellent electrification technology. As mentioned just now, in order to meet the needs of users in China for long battery life, EV5 has a maximum cruising range of over 700 kilometers, and is in the leading position at the same level. The fast charging function of about 27 minutes relieves users’ daily charging anxiety and enables them to charge more freely. In addition, there are dual motors, which is also a good choice for users who want to have differentiated power performance.

In addition, EV5 also has very strong safety performance, adding a semi-automatic lane-changing expressway auxiliary system, equipped with the latest second-generation remote control intelligent parking auxiliary system, and the auxiliary performance of front, side and rear parking anti-collision, which expands the detection range of the front anti-collision auxiliary system with very high daily departure frequency and provides users with a more secure travel experience.

Finally, EV5 is equipped with a new generation of in-vehicle infotainment system for the first time in China, with emphasis on the application content of China localized software, and more than 30 kinds of small programs such as videos, e-books, games and learning, so as to provide customers with a better entertainment experience. In addition, we put WeChat into our vehicle system to support safe communication during driving, and EV5 also supports the remote upgrade function of OTA for the whole vehicle, which is also the first application in China, and can update and upgrade all kinds of vehicle functions in real time, bringing users a common and new car experience.

Kia has released a new energy strategy for the China market. What’s the current progress? What are the main achievements?

Kim kyung-hyun:In March this year, Kia China officially released China’s new energy strategy through EV Day, innovating and upgrading its brand, products, channels, services and other business sectors, accelerating the transformation to an electric brand, and making every effort to create the image of Kia EV as "high-tech, high-quality and high-safety".

At present, KIA EV6 has been listed, and EV5 has also started pre-sale. As a heavy strategic model, this car was first listed in China market, which shows that KIA attaches importance to China market and users. In addition, in 2024, we will also launch the flagship EV model EV9. By 2027, a total of six EV models will be launched to accelerate the medium and long-term electrification transformation, and strive to achieve an annual sales volume of 450,000 vehicles by 2030, of which 180,000 are EV models, accounting for 40% of EV sales.

We are also focusing on improving and upgrading the channel network. At present, KIA has cooperated with large dealer groups such as Simami, Jinlong, Tongli and Xinhanma, and more than 10 brand-new stores have been opened in core cities across the country. We have also built a new City Store in the core business districts of key cities across the country, and continued to promote the upgrade of SI 2.0 of 4S stores across the country, which will build a brand and service system that matches the era of electrification.

In terms of charging network facilities, in August, the first 800V overcharge station jointly operated by Kia and Shell was officially opened for operation. In the future, we will continue to cooperate with Shell to continuously expand the construction of overcharging stations in key cities. In addition, we will cooperate with China charging enterprises such as Energy Link Smart Power (Express Power) to provide KIA EV users with a more efficient and convenient charging experience.

In the future, we will cooperate closely with Kia China Yantai Institute of Technology, Shanghai Forward-looking Digital R&D Center and China Big Data Center, systematically analyze the characteristics of China market and users’ needs, and launch innovative models that meet the needs of users in China. As a core part of Kia China EV strategy, Kia will continue to expand investment in China and unswervingly deepen the China market.