Kia PH Just Made the Sportage More Affordable than the Seltos

As auto dealer operations begin to adjust to the new normal, Kia Philippines is giving us a glimpse of what sort of offers can be had post ECQ.

The Deals for You promo is now ongoing at all Kia dealerships open in General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas, and will be available in other dealerships as well once the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) is lifted.

The Deals for You promo gets buyers the following discounts:

• Kia Sorento EX 4x2 – P 80,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 1,815,000)
• Kia Grand Carnival LX 11-seater – P 100,000 cash discount (effective SRP: 1,895,000)
• Kia Sportage LX Gas – P 100,000 cash discount (effective SRP: 1,190,000) or P 1,000 all-in downpayment
• Kia Rio HB – P 50,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 870,000)
• Kia Forte LX AT – P 50,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 1,045,000)
• Kia Picanto LX MT – P 30,000 cash discount (effective SRP: P 560,000)
• Kia Soluto LX MT – P 13,655 low monthly or P 26,000 all-in downpayment

On top of these deals, reserve any Kia vehicle within the month, and you’ll stand to get a free Blaupunkt safety and security package. This includes the Blaupunkt portable tire inflator, and the Blaupunkt DP 2.1 dash cam.

With strict social distancing requirements in place, interested buyers can get a quote directly from Kia Philippines’s official website. Customers are also encouraged to call or set an appointment with their preferred Kia dealer for any sales or service inquiries.

2019 Isuzu Traviz vs Mitsubishi L300 vs Hyundai H-100 vs Kia K2500

With the launch of the 2019 Traviz, Isuzu Philippines Corporation now wants to provide their own version of a “last-mile” mobility solution. And while it fits perfectly into Isuzu’s existing line-up of trucks and commercial vehicles, the Traviz finds itself in heavy competition from both Japanese and Korean quarters.

Since the Traviz is the newcomer in its segment, it’s going against the Hyundai H-100 (currently the segment’s best-seller), its mechanical twin, the Kia K2500 Karga, and the re-born Mitsubishi L300 Euro 4. It’s time to pit these four in a spec showdown.

Right off the bat, the L300 has the advantage thanks to its low retail price. However, surprisingly, the Kia isn’t that far off—at just P 6,000 more than the Mitsubishi. The Traviz is the biggest loser here since it’s the most expensive offering. Despite its high price tag though, the Traviz is definitely the “toughest” one here boasting a 1.6-ton payload capacity. The Hyundai comes second, and it’s a whopping 320 kilograms down versus the Isuzu.

In terms of outright power though, both Japanese offerings here are shadowed by their Korean counterparts. Both the Hyundai H-100 and Kia K2500 offer 130 horsepower and 128 horsepower respectively, while the Traviz comes as the weakest with just 78 horsepower. It’s the same story with torque with the H-100 and K2500 having 255 Nm of torque, while the Traviz is also the weakest at 176 Nm. The story is the same with the accompanying gearbox with both Japanese trucks having just five forward gears to the Korean’s 6-speed manuals. And with just a brand-new heart, the L300, unsurprisingly is the only one here with an old-school nut & bolt steering system; the rest offer a more advanced rack & pinion system.

For ownership, all of these light-duty trucks offer impressive warranties, but the Hyundai stands out with their 5-year / unlimited mileage warranty.

You can check out the full comparison below and pass judgement yourself.

2020 Mitsubishi L300 vs Hyundai H-100 vs Kia K2500

The loss of the Fuso brand to newly-minted distributor Sojitz Fuso Corporation early this year was a blow to Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, considering the demand for light-duty trucks is growing locally. The resurrection of the L300 softens that blow though, giving MMPC the chance once more to fight back and gain market share once more.

The two-year absence of the L300 though is enough to change the game for Mitsubishi. As the Japanese carmaker developed a clean diesel powertrain for their 32-year old commercial vehicle, the Koreans—Hyundai and Kia—beefed up their own light truck offerings, quickly updating their H-100 and K2500. While neither has yet to become a household name, they did chip away some of the L300’s luster by offering a Euro-4 compliant powertrain first.

But now that the L300’s back, will the tide change? It’s time to see how their specs match up (the chart is high-res).

Part of the L300’s charm was its low price tag. Critically, the L300 remains the most affordable truck in this three-way battle, but its advantage isn’t by much—just P 6,000 more affordable than the K2500.

Glancing at the spec sheet, it’s clear that the Mitsubishi’s price jump was fueled mainly by its all-new engine (the rest of its specs read like a true 90s remnant). Yet, its much-hyped powerplant still makes considerably lower power (up to 31 horsepower) and torque (55 Nm) than both of its Korean counterparts. It’s also bound to be less efficient on the highway with its 5-speed manual (vs 6-speed manual in its rivals); a problem exacerbated by its smaller fuel tank (55 liters vs up to 65 liters in the Hyundai).

For those planning to fill their light trucks to the brim, it’s worth noting that the L300 loses in maximum payload capacity to the Hyundai H-100 (1,335 kilograms vs 1,085 kilograms), but surprisingly beats out the K2500 by 85 kilograms—the weight of about one plump Filipino adult.

In terms of convenience features, not much separates all three, but in the Hyundai, the audio system is optional (so is air conditioning). The biggest shock though is that the L300 may be using a brand-new engine, but it still uses an archaic ball-and-nut steering vs the rack-and-pinion steering on the other two. This would mean that the L300’s steering is more prone to wearing, requires more steering effort, and may have the tendency to whip and vibrate at high speed.

Warranty is another area where the L300 loses. While its 3-year/100,000-kilometer warranty is generous, it’s no match for the Kia’ 3-year/110,000-kilometer warranty much less Hyundai’s 5-year/unlimited mileage warranty. A caveat though: in both the Hyundai and Kia’s cases, this warranty is applicable for non-public conveyance use.