Kia's importer shortens delivery time with rail transport

Dan Chitaru, general manager of Kia Rom Auto, the official importer of the Kia brand on the domestic market, says transportation by railway will allow for an increase in the volume of simultaneous deliveries and, implicitly, sales. In order to cut down the delivery time for new cars, which ranged between one and three months in 2007, Kia Rom Auto took several steps to create regional hubs, as well as to transport the new Kia cars from its plant in Slovakia (where they are assembled) by rail instead of road. Transportation by train allows the delivery of 200 cars at any one time, according to Kia Rom Auto’s manager. The delivery rate of the importer currently stands at approximately 100-150 vehicles, but sometimes peaks at 200 units. Unlike in the previous year, Kia now has a constant supply of around 50 to 100 cars in Romania. Kia’s sales in the first two months of the year amounted to 1,251 units- almost seven times higher than the same time last year. Last year’s turnover amounted to around 40 million euros derived from vehicle and spare parts imports, up 100% on the previous year.