Kia India forays into certified pre-owned car biz

New Delhi: Automaker Kia India on Tuesday said it has commenced certified pre-owned business in the country with a plan to have 30 sales outlets by the end of the year.

The company said its certified pre-owned car business 'Kia CPO' intends to provide a new age experience to customers, in line with new car buying experience, that will allow them to sell, buy or exchange pre-owned cars, backed by ownership transfers and customised finance options.

"With Kia CPO, we want to rewrite the rules of the game for the pre-owned car market. Currently, Indian customers have limited access to certified and verified information when it comes to the pre-owned car segment and we intend to change this notion with our entry into the business," Kia India Chief Sales Officer Myung-sik Sohn said in a statement.

The company's proactive approach of starting CPO business at such an early stage of its existence in the country will ensure that all systems and processes are in place even before the first lot of products comes under the average replacement age, he added.

"We have noticed that more than one-third customers of new Kia cars are replacement buyers, and we aim to facilitate them through our certified pre-owned car business," Sohn said.

Customers can exchange any used car with new Kia cars and the company is also offering a combined packaged deal for exchange customers, with secure and instant payment transfer option, he added.

Kia said it has aggressive plans to ramp up the CPO business in the country with over 30 outlets by the end of 2022.

It has already established 15 outlets in 14 cities -- Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Cochin, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Amritsar, Nasik, Baroda, Kannur and Malappuram.