Here’s another reason why Kia (KIMTF.PK) isn’t just a flash in the pan: A recent study from Experian Automotive gave Kia the No. 1 model in terms of brand loyalty — plus two other slots in the top 10. Stalwarts Toyota (TM) and Lexus, by contrast, didn’t even crack the top 10.
Kia and its corporate cousin, Hyundai (HYMLF.PK), have posted big sales increases in the U.S. market the last few years in a row, including a 19 percent increase for Kia in 2010, to 356,000. That was a U.S. record for the brand. Kia and Hyundai both belong to South Korea’s Hyundai Group.
Win them over, then hold onto ‘em
Now it looks as if Kia isn’t just attracting people — it’s keeping them, too. In the third quarter of 2010, almost 70 percent of Kia Forte owners who bought a car bought another Kia, according to Experian. That made it the No. 1 model in loyalty for the quarter. The Kia Soul and the Kia Sorento were also in the Top 10.
That result isn’t just a fluke, either. In the latest J.D. Power Customer Retention Study, which was published in December, Kia was No. 4. Hyundai was in a three-way tie for No. 2 with Toyota and Lexus. Ford was No. 1. According to J.D. Power, the auto industry average loyalty rate is only 48 percent.
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