Welsh dealers with the Kia franchise cleaned up in the brand’s retail awards for 2023.
For the third consecutive year, Gravells Kia Bridgend was awarded the prestigious ‘Dealer of the Year’ title and Jonathan Gravell (below left) received the trophy from Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK Limited in the dealer convention in Liverpool.
An exceptional hattrick result was achieved by the dealership, which was also presented with the ‘Sales Excellence Award’ and ‘After Sales Excellence Award’ from Paul and Steve Hicks, Sales Director KIA UK (below).
This is the second year running the dealership has won the ‘After Sales Excellence Award’, which focuses on vital areas of the business including parts, accessories and service plans.
Gravells Kia Hereford toppled previous four-time winner Ken Jervis Kia off the podium to secure the outright win of the ‘Customer Experience Award’.
Moreover, the top 20 dealers excelling in Customer Experience also received recognition for their remarkable efforts with a dedicated award certificate and here Gravells Abergavenny picked up another award, along with Wessex Garages in Newport and Cardiff.
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK Limited, extended heartfelt congratulations and thanks to all the winners, “Recognising our dealers for their exceptional commitment to our customers has once again led to record sales in 2023.
“This is thanks to their quality of service and stellar representation of the Kia brand. We are immensely proud of our dealer partnerships and together we have and will overcome challenges through continuous innovation.
“2024 will be yet another exciting year for our brand and we’ve already hit the ground running with the opening of the all-new Kia Academy in Derby that will usher in the next generation of skilled technicians.
“Of course, no mention of 2024 is complete without noting the ZEV mandate. Kia is already in a great position: almost one in two vehicles sold is an electrified model and this will be our first full sales year for the EV9. Nevertheless, we will continue to build upon our reputation as leaders in electrification and with the strength and quality of our dealer partners I’m certain this is possible.”
Last year was another impressive performance for Kia, selling 107,765 new cars – of which 45 per cent were electrified models, making Kia the third best-selling brand for electrified models in 2023.
The year saw Kia earn the top spot in both annual National Franchise Dealer Association (NFDA) surveys for the first time, clearly indicating the strength of mutual business relationship between Kia and its UK dealer partners.
The year also saw (above) the launch of the seven-seat fully electric EV9 – Kia’s new flagship model – that was displayed to customers across the country at almost every Kia dealership during the EV9 Electric Experience events.
