WhichCar

Kia Connect coming with all new models and facelifts, free for seven years

Kia's new Kia Connect online system will roll out in Australia with every new model and facelift from here on out – including seven years of free connectivity

Kia Connect 2023 Niro 02
Gallery6

Snapshot

  • Kia Connect free for seven years
  • EV6 will wait until facelift
  • Retrofit jobs not an option

After years of being denied access to the ‘Uvo’ online connectivity system offered to customers in other markets, Kia Australia is finally on a level footing with the launch of its new Kia Connect system.

Launching with the new-generation 2023 Kia Niro electric and hybrid SUV range, Kia Connect adds an extensive suite of in-car and remote phone-based features and free connectivity for buyers.

Kia Connect features

EV Charging locationsRemote Climate controlRemote lock
View nearby locations of charging stations for EVs as well as other details such as plug availability and compatible connector types.Through the Kia Connect App, you can remotely activate, set and schedule climate control before you get in the car, so it's just right when you get in.Never again leave your car unlocked – or yourself locked out of your car. With the Kia Connect App, you can remotely lock and unlock your Kia from anywhere with a simple tap.
Destination Send to VehicleVehicle trackingVehicle status
This feature allows the Kia Connect App user to send an address directly from the app to the vehicle navigation system, which is ideal for notifying you when you are ready to depart in due course.Always know where your car is parked, even if you didn’t park it yourself. And if you need, the Kia Connect App can walk you to it using augmented reality guidance.Vehicle status offers a comprehensive report on your car including whether the doors/boot/bonnet are open or closed, fuel or battery charge and other vital diagnostic information before you start your journey.
Valet parking modeLocal POI searchEmergency call
Activate this mode before handing it over to someone and it will let you monitor the vehicle’s location, driving time, distance and top speed using the Kia Connect App. With Geo-fence alerts it will even alert you when the vehicle strays outside of pre-set limits of geographical areas.Local area search combined with Weather Forecast and Points Of Interest which cover not only information of the local area, but also enroute and the destination.In case of an accident where the airbag is deployed, this feature will automatically contact the Kia Connect 24/7 call centre for your safety. The dedicated SOS button allows you to call the centre yourself if necessary.

The system, which offers a persistent mobile data connection through the Optus 4G network, is offered completely free to buyers for seven years – in line with the company’s existing seven-year warranty, roadside assistance and capped-price servicing program.

Kia Australia isn’t saying what sort of data costs it’s swallowing in not charging for the Connect service, but concedes it will likely announce a subscription price at some point – probably before the first Australian-delivered 2023 Niro vehicles reach their seven-year anniversary.

”There’s an ongoing cost to Kia, but covering it free for users is a decision we made when we developed the product plan,” Kia Australia’s chief operating officer Damien Meredith told media at the recent Kia Niro launch event.

What happens after that initial complimentary period? Kia Australia product planning boss Roland Rivero chipped in: “We’ve got seven years to figure that out!”

Kia Connect
6

Which cars will get Kia Connect?

The timing of Kia Connect’s local debut could be considered awkward, with buyers of the most expensive model Kia has ever offered in Australia – the flagship EV6 electric vehicle – missing out on the feature by mere months, despite already being available overseas.

Speaking with Wheels Media at the Niro event, Rivero confirmed the localisation timeline for making Kia Connect available in the EV6 just didn’t line up in time for its early 2022 launch.

“We started the Kia Connect project around 12 to 18 months ago, and it takes that long,” Rivero said.

It’s worth noting that while the EV6 went on sale in Australia in February this year, production for those first deliveries would have occurred sometime in 2021.

So, when will Kia Connect appear in the EV6?

Rivero said buyers can expect to see it become available at facelift time, which Kia calls 'PE' for Product Enhancement. Based on its launch timing and the usual five-to-six-year lifetime of most Kia models, that should be around 2024 or 2025.

That will be the case for all Kia models going forward, too. The next model to launch with Kia Connect will be the facelifted Seltos SUV, due in Australia later this year.

Kia Connect 2023 Niro 01
6

Can I retrofit Kia Connect into my existing Kia?

Owners of existing Kia models hoping for a retrofit upgrade to Kia Connect –similar to Mazda offering an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto upgrade to owners of compatible models – will miss out, Rivero confirmed.

Where the Mazda initiative allowed owners to upgrade their display hardware and wiring at a cost of $500, upgrading an existing Kia model to accommodate Kia Connect would be a lot more work – including not only the addition of a new display and processor, but also mobile data connectivity hardware, a new switch panel for the additional buttons, and wiring and chips to connect it all.

“There’s no retro-fitting option, Kia Connect will only be offered in all-new and facelift models. It’s simply too big a hardware upgrade to manage as a retrofittable option in existing vehicles," Rivero said.

Australian buyers of new and facelifted models can at least be assured that our market’s version of Kia Connect is a full-featured suite that rivals – and in some cases outdoes – what is offered for Kia models in other markets.

“Some markets don’t tick all the boxes – some aren’t going to offer it for seven years free, and some might decide ‘immobilisation is something our market won’t implement’. So in terms of features, we’re very much aligned with the rest of the world."

Rivero added that more features are coming in later updates: “This is only phase one,” he said.

“The second phase adds over-the-air updates, so that’s going to make the customer experience even more convenient – where a sat-nav map can be updated at any time from home, or they could purchase upgrades through the system, that sort of thing.”

While most Kia Connect features will likely be considered welcome by most buyers, the ability to purchase upgrades through the Kia Connect system could be a portent of the sort of downloadable software and built-in hardware features that can already be enabled – ‘unlocked’ at an additional cost – in models from Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

COMMENTS

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.