Dealers vote Kia the best brand for the fifth consecutive time
- Dealers have rated Kia the number one brand in the latest NFDA Winter 2025 Dealer Attitude Survey
- Fifth consecutive win for Kia in the NFDA’s industry survey
- Kia ranked top in every single electric vehicle question
- Top-three ranking in the past 18 successive NFDA surveys
- Overall manufacturer rating of 9.3 out of 10
- Kia ranked top in 29 of 56 questions
The nation’s car dealers have voted Kia as the top brand for the fifth consecutive time in the latest National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) Winter 2025 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS).
The announcement adds to Kia’s historic success for brand and dealer satisfaction, now growing to five wins in a row and a top-three ranking in each of the past 18 successive NFDA surveys.
Best in class
In the latest survey, Kia scored 9.3 out of 10 overall, matching the previous survey’s results and demonstrating consistency in dealer satisfaction. This compares to the average overall score across all brands of 7.2 out of 10.
Kia’s result is amplified by a high response rate of 76% (142) of Kia’s 188-strong UK dealer network, which compares to the industry’s 61.3% average response rate across all 31 UK franchised networks.
Kia scored the top rating across 29 of the 56 questions posed to dealers in the survey. Of particular note, Kia scored highest of any brand across all six of the electric vehicle-focused questions. In addition, Kia scored highly across all other metrics, from used cars to training and its apprenticeship programme.
Kia was rated the top brand for frequency of introduction of new models. Kia is launching the EV4 and EV5 fully electric models later this year, along with new versions of the family-favourite SUV, the Kia Sportage, and powerful and sporty EV6 GT. Additionally, 2025 sees Kia launch a brand new PBV commercial vehicle business with the introduction of its first dedicated fully electric PBV, the PV5, which includes both van and passenger versions, and unique factory-built customisation options.
Dealerships were surveyed between 27 January to 28 February for the Winter 2025 DAS.
Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), said: “The Winter 2025 NFDA Dealer Attitude offers an in-depth look at the evolving relationship between manufacturers and franchised dealerships, shedding light on both advancements and persistent challenges.
“NFDA congratulates Kia, who has come top in the survey for what is now 5 editions in a row on the overall manufacturer rating with an impressive score of 9.3, the same score from the last edition.”
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK, said: “This is a truly exceptional result and one we couldn’t be prouder to achieve. We have said that dealers are at the core of our business, so it’s particularly noteworthy that they agree and have now rated Kia the best brand for the fifth consecutive NFDA survey.
“With numerous challenges facing our industry, we are incredibly proud of our dealer partners whose proactive approach has ensured Kia continues to lead the industry. Together, we have just achieved a record-breaking Q1 and best-ever month in March, with our latest fully electric model, the Kia EV3, becoming the UK’s best-selling retail-market EV in Q1.
“We would like to express a heartfelt thank you to all our dealer partners for their commitment to Kia and the hard work they put into the brand’s success every day.”
Leaders in electrification
Kia has gone from strength-to-strength in the UK, having achieved its best quarter and month on record, with almost 20,000 (19,993) new car sales in March and 35,063 sales over Q1 2025.
Kia is currently the third best-selling car brand in the UK with a large market share of 6.0%, year-to-date.
A leader in electrification, every second Kia sold is an eco model (BEV, PHEV, HEV), while Kia offers one of the broadest model ranges in the industry. Since 2020 when Kia launched its ‘Plan S’ global business strategy, Kia has grown its fully electric model line-up to now include the EV3, EV6 and EV9, with the EV4 and EV5 due for launch soon. Kia’s current latest fully electric model, the EV3, is the UK’s best-selling EV within the retail market in Q1 as well as the 2025 UK Car of the Year – following in the EV9’s footsteps as both World Car of the Year and UK Car of the Year 2024.
NFDA
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK. There are more than 4,500 franchise outlets in the UK and over 600,000 people working in the automotive retail sector.
NFDA’s Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS) is a twice-yearly survey of the relationship between franchised dealerships and manufacturers throughout the UK and remains a critical barometer in understanding the intricate dynamics between those franchised dealerships and their respective manufacturers.
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