KIA Motors Australia has rolled out a new car care accessories program of surface coating protection for vehicle paint and interiors. The product will be sold as a Kia-branded accessory through the company’s 136-strong national dealer network.

The company is one of the first OEMs in Australia to offer a branded car care program done in partnership with MotorOne, Australia’s leading aftermarket supplier.

The arrangement followed extensive discussions with Kia’s Australian dealer council which saw the opportunity to increase crucial sales of aftercare products with a protection product branded as a genuine Kia accessory. This gives customers comfort that the product is factory-endorsed.

The product is sold as ‘Kia Premium Vehicle Protection’ and has already been supported by a national training program that included a strong focus on selling the products as well as their application.

The hi-tech paint protection is based on MotorOne’s latest Hydro ceramic coating. This is sourced from Korea, the world leaders in ceramic technology.

Working with MotorOne’s product development team, Kia Motors extensively tested the formula across all vehicles in the Kia range. Based on this work, Kia selected its own exclusive formula with the ‘recipe’ tweaked to provide specific increased hydrophobic (water-repellent) properties for Kia paint finishes.

All the Kia promotional vehicles on display at the recent Kia-sponsored Australian Open had Kia Premium Vehicle Protection applied.

The interior protection product is Australian-made.

The Kia Premium Vehicle Protection package is only available from Kia dealers and will be applied to new cars or used cars up to five years old.

Jason Koster, national corporate manager at MotorOne, said: “Kia dealers are confidently projecting increased sales as a result of the program being an authorised Kia branded accessory. Additionally, the arrangement also ties in with a preference by OEMs to have 100 per cent focus on their own brands across products being sold in the showroom.

“Dealerships which were early adopters and getting behind the program in their dealerships were pleased with the extra revenue flowing into their businesses, with one Adelaide dealer recently reporting sales of 11 full Kia protection packs in two days, and now reporting 75 per cent penetration on new cars,” he said.

Kia is also offering a generous warranty for the program.

Generally, the standard warranty period is limited lifetime to the original owner, however Kia is offering on its program a transferable warranty to any subsequent owners of the treated vehicle up to the full seven years of the Kia factory warranty, including a seven-year clear coat delamination cover.

By John Mellor