Rebirth: The Successful Rebrand of Kia

Once upon a time, a Kia was a simple, family car; nothing extraordinary or covetable. The vehicles donned a simple logo; the word Kia written inside a wide circle. The most interesting about the logo was the missing horizontal line from the capital A.

However, in 2021, the company made a huge decision; they changed not only their logo but nearly everything the company stood for. Their rebrand was risky; it had thousands of people (including me) googling “What car is KN”. The Kia we once knew was dead.

The Logo

The new Kia logo features black lettering with a sleek design. The straight, no-nonsense lines help to capture simplicity as well as modernity. While the complaint that Kia “failed” their logo redesign due to it not clearly reading “Kia” is valid, the logo redesign as a whole represents a new successful era for Kia; a complete rebirth with a new identity.

As discussed by Blake Howard in a Wall Street Journal YouTube video, by redesigning its dealerships, website, logo, and color palette, Kia places itself in an entirely new domain; one that no longer places GMC, Toyota, or Hyundai as competitors, but instead poses Tesla as a leading competitor.

The Dealerships

While Kia’s logo is one of the most outward aspects of the company’s rebranding, its dealership locations have also undergone a massive transformation. According to the Wall Street Journal video, Kia says the new dealership aesthetic and interiors hope to attract “electric vehicle buyers who typically don’t like going to traditional car dealerships.”

The difference in Kia dealerships before and after their redesign is certainly astounding. Whereas the dealerships before had bright colors, cool lighting, and more of a cramped feel, the current dealerships have a warm and inviting feel and are much more spacious. Both of these aesthetic features were imperative to Kia during the redesign process.

However, while the arguably peripheral aspects of Kia’s redesign are important, the most dramatic transformation was undergone by the vehicles themselves.

The Vehicles

In 2022, Kia released its first ever fully electric vehicle, EV for short, the Kia EV 6. The Kia EV 6 features sleek lines, a sporty look while maintaining a comfortable interior, and to top it all off, an affordable price tag; starting at just $48,500.

Even more impressive, is the fact that the Kia EV 6 GT (a crossover between a luxury and a sports car) donned 576 horsepower and is faster than the Porsche Taycan GTS.

According to HotCars, “the Porsche Taycan GTS can accelerate from 0–60mph in 3.5 seconds, the Kia EV6 GT can go from 0–60mph in 3.4 seconds.”

While the difference is only marginal, it can still be said that the Kia EV6 is faster than its more famous and expensive luxury peer.

Even if one is not familiar with cars, it is clear that Kia’s rebrand put an astronomical difference between the Kia vehicles before and after the 2021 company transformation.

The interiors, exteriors, colors, dimensions, and powers of the vehicles are all upgraded versions of their pre-2021 counterparts.

Consumer and Industry Responses

So, how have car buyers and industry professionals reacted? Has Kia actually benefitted from its rebrand?

The answer is a resounding yes.

According to Kia, the company’s revenue increased by about 14% revenue increase from 2020 to 2021. Such a jump in revenue has not been seen by Kia in the year leading up to the rebrand.

The Kia EV6 GT won the prestigious World Performance Car Award in 2023 and in 2022, the base model EV6 won Car of the Year. Furthermore, in 2023, the EV6 won the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. This is just a few of the awards Kia has recently won for their new vehicles.

And while many are still upset at Kia for their new logo, claiming its redesign was a “flop”, the general consensus is that Kia has earned a newfound respect in the automotive industry. Whereas people were previously looking to buy Kia’s mainly for their affordable price point, customers are now specifically looking to buy Kia’s because of their new features and sleek designs. The price tag is now just the cherry on top.

So, the next time you’re on the road, notice how many more Kia’s drive by you. Take a good look at them and ask yourself, “Was the Kia rebrand a success?”