Kia’s new logo will debut in 2021, driving its shift towards EV



While Kia seems to be knocking it out of the park recently with its recent models such as the K5, Sorento, and even the Carnival MPV, the new models are just step one of what Kia CEO Ho Sung Song calls “Plan S”.

The Plan S (the “S” stands for “Shift”, apparently) initiative aims to develop the brand to become “more dynamic, stylish, and inventive,” with a stronger emphasis on electric vehicles. Kia is planning a line-up of at least 11 EVs by the end of 2025 backed by a massive USD25 billion investment, and according to a report by Automotive News, Plan S will be officially launched early next year.

Kia's new logo was first unveiled on the Kia Imagine concept vehicle.

Driving Kia’s paradigm shift is the brand’s new logo, which is set to arrive on a production vehicle next year. The new logo was first sighted in a trademark filing in Korea back in December last year, and later unveiled officially on the Imagine concept.

In an interview with the European publication, Song commented on the new logo: “We need something to initiate or drive that business paradigm into the new world. These days, we are transitioning to a new industry paradigm.”

Kia's new logo was first unveiled on the Kia Imagine concept vehicle.
Kia Imagine concept.

Kia’s new logo ditches the oval surrounds that have become synonymous with the brand since its inception, while the letterings have also been given a more modern, stylised treatment, and are all connected to each other. Song says that the new brand relaunch, together with its new logo, is meant to “set up [its] new customer target”.

Kia’s big EV push will rely heavily on the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that is also shared with Hyundai to be used in its new Ioniq sub-brand. The Hyundai Motor Group as a whole aims to sell 1 million units of BEVs annually by 2025, which should represent a 10% market share to become a leader in the global EV field.