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Kia project to grow over 45% with the 4×4 Bongo

The objective to deliver from 8 thousand to 8.5 thousand units this year can be harmed by the lack of parts

By Alzira Rodrigues | 5/10/23 | Translated by Jorge Meditsch

Despite the component shortage may compromise this year’s goals, Kia Brasil is confident about getting good results in 2023. With a 15.4% growth in the first four months, the company foresees a chance to expand its sales by over 45% until December, delivering from 8 thousand to 8.5 thousand units (5.5 thousand in 2022).

The brand’s main asset is the Bongo K2500 4×4, presented at the end of March and exhibited to the public at the Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto, SP, during the first week of the month. Gustavo Gandini, Kia Brasil’s operations director, highlighted the main applications of the product in agribusiness, especially for family farming.

“The 4×4 version that replaces the 4×2 with the advantage of being able to face more strict road conditions, including unpaved roads, should attract consumers from segments we did not use to assist”, he said. “That’s why we are betting that in 2023 we will have a performance over the market average.

According to the executive, the risk of not achieving the year’s projection is related to the production capacity, which is still harmed by the lack of semiconductors and engine and transmission components.

The executive said there are no plans to expand the dealer net, currently with 70 stores. It may happen in 2024, depending on this year’s results and better global parts supply conditions.

With 902 deliveries in the first four months, the Bongo is Kia’s current flagship in Brazil. The other brand’s bestsellers are the Stonic (368 units) and the Sportage (312).

The light truck is already available at the dealer network, with the 4×4 version priced at R$ 164,990. Among its main features, the company highlights the classification as VUC (Urban Cargo Vehicle), which allows circulation where heavy trucks are interdicted and may be driven by drivers with a C-class license (the same for light vehicles).

Currently produced in Uruguay, the Bongo has a 130.5 cv 2.5l turbodiesel engine and six-speed manual transmission and can haul up to 1,500 kg. Launched in Brazil in 2007, initially imported from South Korea, the model already has 57 thousand units registered in the country, 33 thousand of them made in the neighboring country.

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Alzira Rodrigues

Jornalista formada pela Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, iniciou a cobertura do setor automotivo em 1981 na Sucursal do ABC de O Estado de S. Paulo. Manteve-se na área desde então, passando por outros jornais e também revistas e sites.

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