Kia marks 20 years in South Africa in style
By khulekani / on Nov 6th, 2018 / in featured, Travel
Recently we travelled to the Western Cape to join Kia Motors SA in marking 20 remarkable years in South Africa. To form, Kia had a few surprises in store for us as we got to drive the updated Kia Grand Sedona and Sorento
Day 1
We flew to Cape Town via Kulula and experienced some of the worst legroom we’ve ever experienced on a local flight. I’m not tall by any stretch of the imagination but could barely sit up straight due to the confined seating space. Our spirits were not dampened though as we knew that a weekend of great fun and relaxation was ahead of us.
In no time we checked in at the luxurious Westin Hotel. First up was some ‘work’ with a press conference on the updated Kia Grand Sedona and Sorento. The rest of the press conference was spent looking at the past 20 years of Kia in South Africa. The company comes from humble begins and looked at how they started off as selling 310 units in one year. They now sell that in about a week.
Humble beginnings for @KiaMotorsSA in South Africa back in 1998. 7 ‘head office’ staff members Only 310 units sold in the first year which is now what Kia Motors SA sells in a week. Don’t look down on small beginnings… #20YrsOfSurprisingSA pic.twitter.com/JzBKnF4gMo
— Khulekani on Wheels (@khuleonwheels) October 26, 2018
The company credits the previous generation Sportage as having changed things for them. That car attracted a lot of customers to the brand and made them to take notice of the other fleet of cars offered by Kia.
Hey @KiaMotorsSA Picanto. Kia credits this car as one of the cars that changed perceptions in SA about the Kia brand. Own one? What do you think? We’ve driven it and enjoyed it. #20YrsOfSurprisingSA pic.twitter.com/TLPbPgmbSi
— Khulekani on Wheels (@khuleonwheels) October 26, 2018
The company also mentioned the Kia Picanto which has become synonymous with its segment. Looking to the future, the Stinger came up as the vehicle that’s here to show the potential of Kia engineering. The appointments of design guru, Peter Schryer, and former BMW vehicle performance guru, Thomas Schemera, were highlighted as notable appointments in the upward trajectory of the brand. Looking to the future, the brand mentioned the consideration of the Indian built SP Concept SUV as being on the cards for South Africa.
Prepare to be stung. .@KiaMotorsSA are looking at the Kia Stinger to make the unequivocal statement about their brand promise – quality, reliability and performance. The Stinger is undoubtedly one of our favourites from Kia. #20YrsOfSurprisingSA pic.twitter.com/CQcQ7Jd7AO
— Khulekani on Wheels (@khuleonwheels) October 26, 2018
Once the ‘work’ stuff was over, we joined our partners for a drink at the bar before a shuttle took us to V&A Waterfront for dinner on a boat. The dinner did not disappoint with salmon starters, a seafood platter for mains and chocolate mousse cake for dessert.
We retired at around 12 am so we could be ready in time for the following day.
Day 2
My day started with a quick run at the Westin’s gym which is situated on the 19th floor of the hotel and has amazing views of the city.
We enjoyed a chilled breakfast and then we were off to George in the refreshed Sedona. The drive was scenic and easy. We had a stopover at the beautiful Jan Harmanus for a scrumptious picnic. The pomegranate juice was refreshing as the temperature was nearly approaching 40*C.
We arrived at the lovely Fan Court Hotel at about 4:30 pm and had welcome drinks on arrival. We then had the opportunity to spend a bit of time for sun downers at the exclusive members’ club.
Dinner was served at 7:30 and the oxtail and cheesecake stood out. We then retired to our palatial rooms with their own stand-alone lounge, decently sized rooms and nice full bathroom.
Day 3
We got up early for a buffet English breakfast. We the proceeded for our drive to PE. For scenic purposes, we chose to take the provincial roads which were in a good condition in both provinces.
We are getting ready to hit the road in the updated @KiaMotorsSA Grand Sedona and Sorento. All hail Peter Schreyer and the Kia design team for these good looking cars. Having driven previous models, can’t wait to feel the differences in the updated models. #20yrsOfSurprisingSA pic.twitter.com/nz0FD768ly
— Khulekani on Wheels (@khuleonwheels) October 27, 2018
The Grand Sedona also took the trip well. I just didn’t enjoy the sound system although playing music from my phone was made easier with Apple CarPlay. The Grand Sedona was comfortable and frugal returning 8.0l/100 km. We arrived early for our flight in PE and we were back in Joburg in no time and wishing that this could start all over again.