Ceed Eco Dynamics launches Kia's green brand in fleet

Date: 29 September 2009

The car is the first to get the firm's new Eco Dynamics badging for its more environmentally-friendly models, and new UK managing director Michael Cole said the introduction gives the Korean brand a chance to get out and talk to the fleet sector.

"It's an entry for us into the environmental arena, it is our serious entry into the fleet market and a first chance to talk to the fleet market about what we offer," he said. "The branding gives us a bit of leverage to talk around, a way of laying the foundations to say we are serious about low-emissions cars, a signal of intent to be at the forefront."

The main features of the Eco Dynamics Ceed are the firm's stop-start system, called ISG, and low-rolling resistance tyres, which take the 89PS 1.6 diesel below the 100% first-year write-down boundary of the latest capital allowance regulations.

Cole is also looking for Kia to take a leap forward in terms of fleet market share, with the firm set to end 2009 with a 3.5% share in the retail sector but just 1.2% of fleet. "We don't want it to be 50:50, to do that you have to get heavily into daily rental and I don't see that as our place, but we want to get into core fleet and a 110g/km Ceed gives us a shot at that for the first time," said the former Toyota man. "I came in from the outside and I've looked and am thinking why aren't we doing better?"

The next Eco Dynamics model is likely to be the Venga supermini-sized vehicle coming early next year, though that's yet to be confirmed, but will take in alternative fuels as and when Kia brings them to market. A hybrid model is reportedly around three years away.

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