EV campaign at Kia kicks off with new tagline and logo

Kia has today announced that its first bespoke EV will launch during the first quarter of this year, and the all-new zero-emissions model will be promoted with the company’s new slogan – ‘Movement that inspires’ – and its radically different logo.

The still-secret EV will be the first outing for the Euro-designed logo as badgework on one of Kia’s models.

But this is not the first time Kia has sold an electric vehicle. The company’s local distributor has been trying for years to bring in EVs based off combustion-engined models, and earlier this month confirmed it will finally launch the Kia Niro small SUV here in the first half of 2021 with full-electric, plug-in hybrid and regular hybrid options.

But this new EV will be dedicated to the battery-electric cause. It won’t have petrol or hybrid counterparts, such as the Kia e-Niro and the e-Soul do.

A ‘crossover’ SUV, the new EV will be built on Kia’s E-GMP modular platform for electric vehicles. This platform is expected to underpin other EVs set to be rolled out in accordance with the company’s ‘Plan S’ business strategy, which was revealed last year.

According to the company, there will be seven EVs in the product portfolio by 2027, spread across passenger cars and SUVs. The nomenclature for the new EVs will be ‘EV1’ through to ‘EV9’. It’s not clear what the crossover model will be named.

In a nod to the future corporate/motoring landscape, Kia also plans to build ‘PBVs’ (purpose-built vehicles) that will be based on modular ‘skateboard’ platforms and offer individual corporate customers specific ‘top hats’ for discrete needs.

This will save the company money in development, but will also provide customers – such as ride-sharing fleets or commercial goods transport companies – tailored solutions to suit their business operations.

Kia is already investing in ride-sharing companies throughout Asia.

While the brand redesign is predicated on improving brand awareness and selling more cars, Kia execs indicate that it is a milestone for the company along its path to an eventual product range that’s entirely electrified.

“Electrification is an inevitability,” said Artur Martins, Kia’s senior vice-president in charge of global brand and customer experience.

Unlike parent company Hyundai, which is developing a family of EVs under the IONIQ brand, Kia doesn’t plan to introduce a standalone or even sub-brand of electric vehicles. The Kia brand itself will be the marketing shell for the EV models in the range.

Nor does Kia plan to move upmarket with this rebranding, Martins said.

“Kia is recognised by quality of product and by having affordable cars, so that’s not a position we want to lose," he said.

"I think affordability, regardless of the brand, is still something that will keep being important. And mainly, we don’t want to be a premium brand.”

Kia’s rationale for the new slogan hinges on ‘movement’ being pivotal to the fulfillment and wellbeing of the human species – seeing new places, meeting new people and enjoying new experiences.

All of this can only take place through our movement, and Kia as a brand provides that movement, in a format that ‘inspires’.

“Movement has always been at heart of our brand, and moving people at the core of our business,” explained Martins.

"Movement helps humankind to constantly progress, improve and evolve. That is why at Kia we believe that movement inspires ideas.”

In other news, Kia will reveal its future design language in coming weeks, but the ‘tiger nose’ will remain in some form, according to Karim Habib, Kia’s global design chief.

Kia has posted the full presentation on YouTube.