Kia Corporation has announced it is moving to a principal-led model in Malaysia, with Kia Sales Malaysia set to manage the brand’s sales, aftersales, training as well as all wholesale and retail operations in our market effective January 1, 2026.
Established on November 3 this year, Kia Sales Malaysia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kia Corporation and would be the equivalent of Honda Malaysia, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and other OEMs directly controlled by their respective HQs – Hyundai went through a similar transition in June this year. Kia Sales Malaysia will be led by Hyung Ho Kim as its president and CEO, with ex-Omoda | Jaecoo vice president Emily Lek set to formally become its managing director effective January 2026.
“Kia is excited to reinvigorate our brand presence in Malaysia. We believe our innovation- and customer-centric strategy will enhance how fans experience the brand as we continue to support the growth of Malaysia’s economy and automotive industry. We are here to stay and, aligned to our ‘Movement That Inspires’ brand vision, we are dedicated to building a future that inspires new experiences and sustainable mobility,” said Ki Seok Ahn, president and CEO of Kia Asia Pacific.
“Among the milestones the automotive industry and fans of the brand can anticipate from the new principal-led move include enhancements to the Kia dealer network, investments in aftersales service and new model launches,” the company wrote in its release.
If you’re wondering why the company isn’t just called ‘Kia Malaysia’, that’s because there’s already a company by that name here – KMSB – that manages Kia’s local assembly operation in Kulim, Kedah. KMSB was formed after Kia Motors partnered with Bermaz Auto (BAuto) in April 2021, which also saw the appointment of BAuto’s subsidiary Dinamikjaya Motors as the South Korean brand’s official distributor in Malaysia.
The Kia-BAuto partnership has since been concluded and the transition process is currently ongoing. At present, customers can continue to engage with authorised Kia service centres for their aftersales needs, and all vehicle bookings made before November 30 will continue to be fulfilled. However, new bookings will be temporarily paused for the entire month of December 2025.
“We thank Bermaz Group for their dedication to the Kia brand over the past four years and the seamless handover during this transition period. The return of Kia operations to a principal-led model is timely as the market remains hungry for new experiences and value from automotive brands,” commented said Hyung Ho Kim.
“We are grateful to our loyal fans for staying with us through the years and look forward to curating an inspiring ownership experience that proves why a Kia is designed to meet the unique lifestyle needs of both existing and new fans alike,” he added.
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