ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Drive devider Here to stay: Kia Philippines signs on for 2 more years with Kia Corporation

Here to stay: Kia Philippines signs on for 2 more years with Kia Corporation

Continued momentum in the Philippines through 2028

Published Mar 27, 2026 09:57 am

At A Glance

  • Kia Philippines, a subsidiary of ACMobility, has officially renewed its partnership with Kia Corporation for another 2 years.
  • The 10-year partnership (starting in 2018) serves as a counterpoint to the other partnerships ACMobility has recently ended with brands like Maxus, Volkswagen, and Honda.
Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, Chief Executive Officer of ACMobility
Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, Chief Executive Officer of ACMobility
Kia Philippines, a subsidiary of ACMobility, has officially renewed its partnership with Kia Corporation for another 2 years, sealing its commitment to remain the official importer and distributor of Kia vehicles in the country for another decade. 
Leadership from both organizations met in Seoul, South Korea, on March 18, 2026 to sign an extension of their distributor agreement alongside dealer principals and bank partners. This renewal secures a full decade of partnership, serving as evidence of the mutual trust and incredible momentum that Kia has made in the Philippines.
Capitalizing on strengths
Kia Philippines is part of ACMobility, the automotive arm of the Ayala Group. The Ayala Group, through ACMobility, acquired the Kia distributorship in 2018. This renewal secures the partnership until 2028, making it 10 years in total. The renewal follows a breakout 2025 for Kia. While the broader Philippine automotive industry saw a 3.7% increase, Kia surged with a 16.7% year-on-year (YoY) growth rate, becoming one of the fastest-growing automotive brands of the year.
Kia Sorento Turbo Hybrid
Kia Sorento Turbo Hybrid
Kia capitalized on growing interest in hybrid and electric vehicles with their Carnival Turbo Hybrid, and Sorento Turbo Hybrid being among the top sellers. It also reinforced its reputation in Filipino buyers' minds as a reputable small car maker as well, with its Sonet hatchback also among its key models. Besides its cars Kia studied the fundamental shift in how people view the brand, pivoting its operation to suit its reputation, customer interest, and motivating actual purchase intent  to all climb simultaneously. This connection with Filipino drivers helped the brand steadily expand its footprint.
Tae-hun Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Operations Division (left), with Jaime Zobel de Ayala, CEO of ACMobility (right), at the distributor agreement extension signing.
Tae-hun Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Operations Division (left), with Jaime Zobel de Ayala, CEO of ACMobility (right), at the distributor agreement extension signing.
“This partnership extension represents a long-term commitment to the Filipino drivers who have embraced the Kia brand,” said Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, CEO of ACMobility. “Our growth proves that Filipinos are looking for the kind of purposeful innovation that Kia provides, and we’re excited to keep that momentum going.”
Moving to sustainable mobility
Kia EV9
Kia EV9
This year, Kia aims to become a leading automotive brand while supporting its global electrification strategy by expanding its role in the hybrid electric vehicle segment. The company will also strengthen its electrified lineup with the arrival of the Kia EV5, further reinforcing its portfolio across efficient fuel-powered, advanced turbo hybrid, and fully electric vehicles. Kia will also continue to introduce innovative models for Filipino drivers, supported by enhanced after-sales services to serve its growing customer base better.
“Our growth is driven by the vibrant community of Filipinos who have made Kia a part of their story, from families sharing journeys in the Carnival to young professionals finding their start in the Sonet,” said Jay Lopez, Managing Director of Kia Philippines. “This ten-year milestone is a commitment to continue growing this community by offering a lineup that understands the local road as we expand into the hybrid segment and bring innovative mobility to the hearts of our customers.”
Easing doubts
A convoy of Kia Sonet hatchbacks
A convoy of Kia Sonet hatchbacks
The announcement of this 10-year partnership is timely, serving as a counterpoint to the other partnerships ACMobility has recently ended. Last year, ACMobility's automotive brand portfolio shrank considerably. The brand announced the end of its partnership with major motorcycle brands KTM and Husqvarna, as well as automotive brands like Maxus, Volkswagen, as well as Honda. This came as ACMobility enjoyed great strides with its latest brand, BYD and the arrival of its latest luxury division, Denza. It appears its partnership with Isuzu remains strong as ACMobility recently opened the doors to its new Isuzu Mandaluyong showroom; the location and facility used to be a Honda showroom and service center.
This latest announcement serves as evidence that ACMobility will continue to focus on being a vital partner for the brand and its customers.

Related Tags

Ayala Corporation ACMobility Kia Philippines
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.