Naza KIA is an automotive company based in Malaysia and a subsidiary of the Naza Group of companies. The company in essence is the result of a collaborative effort between Kia Motors Corporation (KMC), and the Malaysian company which manages sales operations, marketing initiatives and as distribution representative of KIA of South Korea.
The collaboration has resulted in Naza KIA Malaysia being able to offer a good range of comprehensive vehicles via 85 automotive sales centers all over Malaysia. The company holds on to a philosophy building offering high value, dynamic vehicles which are in line with their tagline “The Power to Surprise.” According to statistical reports, to date the company has managed to place nearly 200, 000 vehicles bearing the Naza KIA badge on Malaysian highways.
Among the more popular models that emerged from the collaborative effort between Naza and KIA was the Naza Ria which was rebadged as the Kia Carnival, the not so popular Naza Citra which was in fact the 1st generation of the Kia Carens and the Naza Citra II Rondo which was in fact the 2nd generation Kia Carens). Models such as the Naza Sorento were rebadged as Kia Sorento and Naza Forza was rebadged by KIA as Hafei Lobo.
However, both the Naza Sorento and Forza were both phased out quickly due to the poor demand for these models by Malaysian drivers. The group’s various business components include among others property development, vehicles and bikes distribution, manufacturing, food and beverage, transportation services, hospitality, limousine services, plantations, non-financial services and even cigarette distribution.
Naza is also a franchise owner for other automotive manufacturers including Ferrari, Kia Motors, Maserati, Koenigsegg, Peugeot, Brabus, Chevrolet, Citroën, Ducati, Vespa, Harley-Davidson, Piaggio, Aprilia, Gilera and Motorcycle brands from India for the Malaysian market which is a very lucrative automotive market due to the spending power of Malaysians. After the turn of the century new generation KIA vehicles won the Korean manufacturer the admiration of drivers the world over.
The popularity of KIA cars reached an extent that drivers stood their grounds by saying that premium KIA cars were in fact better than premium European cars such as BMWs or Mercedes. The Naza KIA forte was labeled as the Honda City/Vios killer by fans and given the fact that the car was a C-segment sedan priced as a B-segment sedan that sported an interior that rivaled entry level Audis, the runaway success expected of it somehow did not happen.
Naza KIA’s heydays were driven by the low price of Naza Citra which was able to the then best-selling 7-seater in Malaysia, the Toyota Avanza. More recent reports indicate that Naza KIA’s sales has been on a steady downtrend since 2010 and expecting the new team assembled by the company under BERMAZ to remedy the gradual ‘rot’ that has set root for more than a decade is quite unrealistic. Owners however can maintain their cars with help from the following source for Naza Kia Workshop Manuals.
It would take time and if NAZA KIA manages to get its marketing mix right in terms of product, price place and promotion, thing might just turn around by 2025.
