Some eyebrows were raised when an automotive outsider, Jay Lopez, was chosen to become the new managing director for Kia in the Philippines. Ever the frank talker, Jay says it was ACMobility’s Jaime Alfonso de Ayala who sought him out to head the Korean automotive brand.
“Jaime really wanted a new perspective; a new way of thinking,” recalls Jay. “A car is a Filipino household’s second most expensive purchase; second only to a house or condo. And with only six percent of households owning a car, there’s great opportunity for growth here. The main question is: how do you get them to consider a Kia?”
Moving forward, Kia isn’t going to undergo a “reset.” Instead, it’s about being more agile and responsive to the needs of the Filipino consumer.
Jay points to Kia’s extensive global product portfolio which are all under consideration at this point. “We are only present in about seven of the 25 or so vehicle segments identified by CAMPI. To grow, we must identify segments that have the most potential, and to bring in a product that can be competitive in that segment. It certainly helps that Kia has a diversified range of powertrain options; this can help us serve the need of the Filipino consumer.”
One such example is the Sonet which has become a runaway success for Kia in the Philippines. The sub-compact SUV accounts for about 75 percent of all Kia vehicles sold in the first half of 2025 and has been a big driver in their accessories business as well.
Another surprise is the Carnival luxury MPV which has helped Kia win over repeat customers. “A vast majority of Carnival buyers end up getting another one, or upgrading to the latest one,” says Jay.
At this point, Kia doesn’t have to be simply a segment follower in the Philippines. Sometimes, it’s about taking educated, calculated risks. And this could effectively mean a more diverse product pipeline soon.
Could this mean the arrival of the Tasman pickup truck, or a more diversified range of EVs like the EV3 or EV5, or even the PV5 MPV? Or maybe, with the zero tariff being imposed on U.S.-sourced vehicles, perhaps even the Telluride? Right now, it’s everyone’s guess.
Whatever the upcoming vehicles, Jay admits that the main challenge of Kia still lies in the brand perception; more specifically the gap between customer expectation and reality. He’s referring of course to buyers who still see Kia as a maker of affordable, no-frills cars. Basically, those who once drove a Kia Pride, he says. That’s compared to the award-winning Kia vehicles everyone can see today when they walk into a showroom; one that’s both cutting-edge in design and engineering.
This, Jay says, requires diving deeper into consumer preferences and behaviors. With his proven leadership and cross-industry perspective from pharmaceutical, nutritional, consumer health, to agribusiness industries, it’s a challenge he relishes.
Apply Lessons learned on maxus and VW
ReplyDeleteTo have better service and wide range and availability of parts is key.
ReplyDeletewrong timing for pick-up, now theres excise tax and definitely those korean made models are gonna be priced around 2M
ReplyDeleteadd more affordable models, lessen the prices of ev's by bringing lower variants of the gt-line and having the option to remove the digital mirrors, promote the soluto, seltos more
ReplyDeleteFire the product planners that insist on bringing GT-Line trims.
ReplyDeleteBring Tasman
ReplyDeleteCarens po. Pero first they have to convince Kia to build a left hand drive version for it :P
ReplyDeletealso same sa comment above, as ugly as hell as it is, I want to see the Tasman too lol. But it might not be price friendly as it will be imported from SoKor.
oooh Telluride would be nice :D I've heard that model is generally more well received than the Palisade
ReplyDeleteDesign and features. No questions about kia.
ReplyDeleteBring in affordable ev for the mass market and other cheaper hybrid vehicles in your model line up.