Kia Australia introduces seven-year warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist

The company claims the seven-year program - dubbed 7-7-7, "sets a new standard for customer care in the Australian automotive landscape", with the warranty for Kia vehicles now extended from five years to seven - with unlimited kilometres. A new seven-year capped price servicing program will also be implemented

“This is a watershed moment in customer care,” said Kia Motors Australia chief operating officer, Damien Meredith, who told CarAdvice in July the company was considering a move to seven years warranty. “Kia customers now have a peace of mind that can’t be matched in the Australian new car market.

“Crucially, our customers will not be asked to pay any more for their scheduled services than had been the case with the five-year capped-price program.

“The two-year increase in warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist is absolutely transparent and we will not be asking our customers to dip into their pockets to fund the extra benefits.”

Buyers who decide to sell their vehicle will benefit from the fact the warranty and service plan is "fully transferable to subsequent owners, provided the usual conditions of the Kia Connect program had been met".

While cynics may see it simply as oneupmanship, Meredith admitted the market is tough and brands need to offer something to stand out.

“Kia acknowledges that there is huge choice available in the new car market in Australia and we need to be ready to build a lifetime relationship with our customers, anticipating and providing for their needs when they make that decision to join the Kia family,” he said.

The move displaces Citroen from the top spot in Australia in terms of warranty coverage (six years, unlimited kilometres), though rivals like Hyundai, Subaru and Mazda offer lenghtier capped-price programs.

Read our breakdown of capped-price servicing programs in Australia here.

See below for a breakdown of the capped-price servicing program for Kia models. Note: vehicles with turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engines (the Cerato Koup and pro_cee'd GT) require servicing every six months or 7500km, while all other models need only be taken in for maintenance every 12 months or 15,000km.

All Kia owners who currently benefit from the five-year capped-price program will be automatically upgraded to share in the additional two years of the new seven-year plan.

“A capped-price service program, particularly where a service is an annual event, is an excellent tool for owners to have clarity and consistency of pricing when budgeting for keeping their new purchase in peak condition," Meredith said.