SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) — Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest carmaker, declared Wednesday that it is set to begin offering refurbished used vehicles produced by the company, similar to the program launched by its bigger affiliate, Hyundai Motor Co., this week.
The company announced that it will start selling reconditioned pre-owned Kia models, including both electric vehicles (EVs) and combustion engine vehicles, starting next Wednesday. The plan was revealed at a media event in Seoul to introduce the project.
Kia is particularly emphasizing its refurbishment of used EV models. As part of the program, the company has introduced a five-tier grading system that will be used to measure the quality of used EV models.
The company said the overall grade of each model will be determined by combining the EV’s battery rating and the distance that can be covered by a single battery charge.
Vehicles eligible for sale are those that are less than five years old, have been driven less than 100,000 kilometers and don’t have an accident history. Kia has established a dedicated center to test and upgrade secondhand units in Yongin, 42 kilometers south of Seoul.
Kia stated it aims to sell 3,000 secondhand units in the remainder of 2023 and move 15,000 used units next year.
The announcement came as Hyundai Motor on Tuesday began selling refurbished used cars produced by the company and its luxury brand Genesis, with a goal of selling 5,000 certified secondhand models within the year.
Executives at Kia Corp. pose for photos in front of a secondhand Kia vehicle that has been refurbished for sale at a media event in Seoul on Oct. 25, 2023. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
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