Kia will officially open its Wonju Flagship Store (located at 30 Roanoke-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do) on Wednesday (28th), a one-stop destination where customers can experience everything from vehicle viewing to test drive, purchase, maintenance and brand experience all in one place.
Kia's Wonju flagship store, the fifth to open after Gangseo, Incheon, Bucheon, and Gwangju in Seoul, is a consolidation of the existing Wonju-Sinwon branch and Wonju-Gangneung service centre. With 15,821 square metres (approx. 4,785 square feet) of customer experience facilities on four floors and two basement levels, the store offers special exhibitions highlighting Kia's past, expanded future mobility experience programmes, and differentiated purchasing and service experiences.
Kia will provide a space with advanced maintenance infrastructure for EVs to support the safe operation of electric vehicles (EVs) at its flagship store in Wonju. The store will provide customers with safe and systematic EV maintenance services by building a dedicated EV maintenance workbench with enhanced insulation, a high-voltage battery workshop, and a waste battery storage facility.
In addition, to provide customers with a unique buying experience, Kia has created a new car delivery area, the Kia Pickup Lounge, where customers will be able to take delivery of their new car directly with a detailed explanation of the process from vehicle unveiling to quality and inspection.
Improve customer consultation spaces to respond to customers' diverse needs and provide a more differentiated buying and service experience. We will enhance the openness of our intensive consultation rooms and create additional open consultation spaces for flexible use as pick-up lounges. This will allow customers to receive counselling in an environment that suits their preferences.
The exhibition will also feature experiential content that allows customers to experience Kia's advanced mobility technology and brand sensibility. Firstly, there will be a 'New-tech Simulator' where customers can feel the effectiveness of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Customers can virtually experience the ADAS functions of each vehicle model through a giant LED screen measuring approximately 220 inches, and various interactive elements are designed to maximise the immersive experience.
There will also be a '3D Configurator' that allows customers to virtually build a product with their own combination of options. On a large media wall, customers can view 3D images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle of their choice, as well as the opening and closing of doors and trunks and the operation of turn signals.
Customers can also view all of Kia's exterior colours in person through the Digital Colour Collection. Tablet PCs installed within the Digital Colour Collection display a Kia colour show in a card-flip format, allowing customers to view and compare multiple colours on a vehicle simultaneously.
To celebrate the opening of the Wonju flagship store, Kia has also prepared a special programme of T-600 and Brisa restored vehicle heritage exhibits. The special exhibition will run for two months after the store opens, giving visitors a chance to experience Kia's unique heritage.
The T-600 is a three-wheeler produced in 1969 through a technical collaboration with Japan's Oriental Industries (now Mazda), and is the model that paved the way for Kia to grow from producing two-wheelers to becoming an automotive company. Since its launch, the T-600 has supported the livelihoods of many people, and in recognition of its contribution and value in the history of the Korean automotive industry, it was selected as a nationally registered cultural property in 2008.
The Brisa, Kia's first rear-wheel drive passenger car, was launched in 1974 and laid the foundation for Kia's history alongside the T-600. It also led Kia's technological growth, achieving a localisation rate of approximately 901 TP3T in 1976, just two years after its launch, thanks to active efforts to localise parts. Kia will also provide digital content on the T-600 and Brisa restoration process and the efforts of its employees to help visitors experience Kia's heritage in a variety of ways.
To celebrate the opening of the Wonju flagship store, Kia is also hosting a customer appreciation event from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 September. The first 100 customers who follow Kia's official Instagram account and participate in authentication events, such as taking photos of the EV3 on display in the store, will receive a Knotted donut and coffee set. Customers who consult, test drive, sign a contract and take delivery will also receive donuts and coffee on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Kia Wonju flagship store is open daily from 9am to 8pm, with the store unattended at night from 8pm to 10pm, allowing you to visit the showroom freely.