More than a decade ago, when people headed to the rental vehicle company, they hoped they wouldn’t get stuck with a Kia. Years passed, the brand invested time and money in their cars, and now everyone wants to drive a Kia. How did this happen?
For the automotive brand, the 2000s were its formative years because it explored the market and had to walk a path seasoned brands walked decades ago. Kia was a young brand and didn’t know much about building a reliable car, so their models were listed continuously at the top of tops. In 2005, the brand was ranked 30th in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, which was close to Korean brands like Daewoo and Hyundai. If you would step into a mechanic’s shop, there would always be a malfunctioning Kia because their engines weren’t built to last. But recent years have brought Kia on the first positions of the IQS survey. The latest consumer reports on the most reliable cars in the industry placed Kia ahead luxury automotive brands that drivers usually consider safe, like Porsche, Honda, Subaru, Infiniti, and Acura. The results aren’t surprising considering the significant strides Kia made to upgrade their vehicles from economy to high-tech cars. Everyone who kept an eye on their evolution would be more than thrilled to own or at least rent one of their models.
In 2018, the J.D Power Initial Quality Study, which surveys the issues drivers have with cars in the first 90 days of ownership, ranked Kia as the most trustworthy brand. For someone who isn’t interested in the automotive industry, this may not be big news. It’s extraordinary for vehicle enthusiasts because a relatively new brand managed to unseat Lexus from the top spot it held for so many years. It was hard for someone to believe back in the 2000s that a mainstream automaker will improve its cars’ vehicle to such an extent it will beat out all luxury brands you would typically find ranking high in tops. BMW, Lexus, Porsche, and Lincoln were all topped by Kia Motors. Some may say that reliability surveys don’t guarantee that a car is sterling. Still, in the automotive industry, the J.D Power Initial Quality Study is known as a trustworthy resource. When a brand wins its first positions for more than one year in a row, it’s considered excellent.
Kia Drive Wise Features provide drivers with tools for a safe drive
The ones who are thinking about buying a Kia vehicle should understand how Kia Drive Wise driver-assistance features work. The latest models have Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, High Beam Assist, Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Haptic Steering Wheel, Lane Following Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Blind-Spot-Collision Avoidance Assist, blind-spot View Monitor, Surround View Monitor, Safe Exit Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning. We’ll check the 2020 Kia Soul Ex features to show that these tools make Kia cars some of the most reliable vehicles on the market.
Driver Attention Warning – it tracks your driving habits and alerts you if it registers inattentive driving practices
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist – advanced tech is used to identify objects and vehicles ahead on the road, and inform you in case of a potential collision. The car may even apply the brakes automatically if it considers necessary.
High Beam Assist – it toggles the high beams on and off when it notices another car approaching in the oncoming lane
Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go – the car is packed with cameras and radars to monitor traffic ahead. When activated, this feature maintains the speed and distance and even stops the engine if it is necessary
Haptic Steering Wheel – Kia connected this feature with other essential functions to alert you through haptic vibrations in the steering wheel
Lane Following Assist – the vehicle includes cameras that track the car’s position within the street’s marking. It helps you maintain the location of the car and steers it along the curves in the road.
Highway Driving Assist – this tool is similar to Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, and it helps you stay with the flow of traffic on the highway
Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist – the vehicle has blind-spot cameras that record the other cars’ position and notify you if there are objects in your blind-spot that can interfere with you switching the lines
Blind-Spot View Monitor – your car has cameras on the side mirrors to display the objects in the blind-spot on a dashboard gauge. You need to activate the blinkers to get the image on your dashboard.
Surround View Monitor – Kia connected all the cameras and radars on its vehicles to provide a digital rendering similar to the bird’s view. It also offers information about what’s happening around your car.
Safe Exit Assist – a radar placed on the car’s blind-spot alerts you if there is a vehicle on the side of the car when you intend to exit the car. The feature also prevents passengers from opening the doors when leaving the car isn’t safe
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning – the brand packed its cars with rear radar technology to identify traffic crossing when you drive the vehicle in reverse. This tool notifies you if there is an obstacle behind the car when you position it in reverse.
With all these features Kia does not need to launch a luxury model
In 2020, Kia changed its slogan from The power to surprise to Give it everything and put the basis of a brand that is generous with all its clients. All its cars have standard features other brands offer only on luxurious models. From cameras and monitors to provide a bird’s eye view to Android Auto integration and Apple CarPlay, Kia delivers the best experience on all cars. Kia values its customers and has chosen not to hold back on adding luxurious features on all models. Why build a new model when you can upgrade the existing ones and make your customers feel like they checked-in into a fancy resort?
