Kia has been rated the top car brand in the UK, based on the experiences of franchised retailers.
The latest National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) Dealer Attitude Survey saw Kia ranked top, improving upon its previous survey score.
Most significantly, Kia emerged as the leader when dealerships were asked ‘How would you rate your manufacturer overall?’.
This was one of five survey questions where the Korean brand received the highest marks.
View from the showroom floor
Held twice each year, the NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey asks franchised dealerships about the relationship they have with the companies whose cars they sell.
This includes a wide range of topics, from profitability and training, through to the quality of electric vehicles on offer.
Kia achieved an average score of 8.3 out of 10 in the survey, representing a 0.3-point improvement on the previous evaluation. The company also performed better in all but one of the survey’s 19 questions.
Paul Philpott, Kia UK president and CEO, commented: “We have worked very closely with our dealer partners for many years and always strive to achieve the best for both our customers and our dealers. Seeing our dealers’ views represented in the NFDA survey is such a valuable asset and one that helps us plan further improvements to our products and services. It is rewarding to see our efforts result in Kia being positioned as the number one brand in the UK.
“While 2022 was a challenging year, we and our dealer partners achieved our long-term goal of selling over 100,000 vehicles in the UK. These survey results prove that this record achievement was delivered with true partnership and to our mutual benefit.”
Electrification leaders
A total of 148 current Kia dealerships responded to the survey, representing 80 percent of all those selling the company’s cars.
Significantly, Kia claimed the top spot for satisfaction with electric vehicles, scoring 9.3 out of 10. New models like the EV9 and updated Niro will likely boost its success in this area.
Paul Philpott added: “Kia is not a company to rest on its laurels and we are excited to bring a host of innovations and new products to market, including the new seven-seat electric EV9 SUV that has just been unveiled.
“We are also proud to see an increasing number of Kia dealerships now benefiting from newly refurbished showrooms that represent our forward-thinking and innovative brand. In addition, we are looking forward to further developments that will be announced throughout 2023 and beyond.”
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