Used Kia: data, facts, buying tips
Kia has earned a good name for itself with good standard equipment, long guarantees and fair prices. But does the used offering do justice to the brand image?
How to successfully reposition a brand has been learned over the last 15 years Kia learn. The brand first appeared in Germany in 1993: At that time there was a cheap small notchback sedan, the Sepia. Today divides Kia with the models of the parent company Hyundai A number of technical components are well hidden, but without sacrificing any peculiarities. Equipped in this way, you can chase away a lot of customers from Japanese and European volume brands. In this country concentrated Kia to date in particular Small car and Compact class modelsbut also successfully established itself as an affordable provider SUV.
The focus on quality issues resulted in a standard new car warranty back in 2010, which was unrivaled for a long time at seven years. To ensure that the design is appreciated in this country, top European designers such as Peter Schreyer were signed. With the introduction of the tiger nose front, the quality increased significantly. A number of newer models were developed in and for Europe and some were even manufactured there. Comparatively early bid Kia hybrid variants that are suitable for everyday use and affordable.
The number of registered in Germany Kiavehicles increased from 435,480 (2013) to 813,190 (2023). With their futuristically designed, fully electric models EV6 and EV9 The brand has recently started using a much more emotional design language in order to be able to continue its expansion course. High standards are met when it comes to range and charging speed, which is where it stands out Kia even in the premium segment. The global strategy for Kia It was clearly communicated: by 2026, one in four new vehicles should be sold Kia have an electric drive, by 2030 this should be almost 40 percent or 1.6 million vehicles.
And in real car life, beyond the dazzling new car driving impressions? In the workshop test by Car Whiz it delivered Kia No brilliant performance in 2019. We headlined “Kia screws with half power“: In customer service, the mechanics overlooked 50 percent of the defects repaired by the DEKRA experts. For comparison: in 2012, the Koreans repaired 72.9 percent.
In the Euro NCAP crash test, the results of the basic models were sometimes only average. The current TÜV report shows that there is still room for improvement. The test results vary from model series to model series. But especially in old age Kia-Models often have an above-average number of defects. And those interested in buying a used car are also worth taking a second look at the guarantee: the long term is important Kia Unique, but not necessarily completely carefree: As with other brands, wearing parts are excluded. Shortened warranty periods apply to certain components: two years for the battery, three years for navigation/infotainment systems and five years for the paint. There is also a kilometer limit: 150,000 kilometers.
What advantages and disadvantages do the individual used models have? How expensive are they? What should you pay particular attention to? All of this is shown in the overview at the top of the picture gallery. For each model there is not only an assessment of specific strengths and weaknesses, but also a purchase recommendation with regard to the engine as well as important used price information.
