Kia Connect coming with all new models and facelifts, free for seven years

After years of being denied access to the ‘Uvo’ online connectivity system offered to customers in other markets, Kia Australia is finally on a level footing with the launch of its new Kia Connect system.

Launching with the new-generation 2023 Kia Niro electric and hybrid SUV range, Kia Connect adds an extensive suite of in-car and remote phone-based features and free connectivity for buyers.

Kia Connect features

The system, which offers a persistent mobile data connection through the Optus 4G network, is offered completely free to buyers for seven years – in line with the company’s existing seven-year warranty, roadside assistance and capped-price servicing program.

Kia Australia isn’t saying what sort of data costs it’s swallowing in not charging for the Connect service, but concedes it will likely announce a subscription price at some point – probably before the first Australian-delivered 2023 Niro vehicles reach their seven-year anniversary.

”There’s an ongoing cost to Kia, but covering it free for users is a decision we made when we developed the product plan,” Kia Australia’s chief operating officer Damien Meredith told media at the recent Kia Niro launch event.

What happens after that initial complimentary period? Kia Australia product planning boss Roland Rivero chipped in: “We’ve got seven years to figure that out!”

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Which cars will get Kia Connect?

The timing of Kia Connect’s local debut could be considered awkward, with buyers of the most expensive model Kia has ever offered in Australia – the flagship EV6 electric vehicle – missing out on the feature by mere months, despite already being available overseas.

Speaking with Wheels Media at the Niro event, Rivero confirmed the localisation timeline for making Kia Connect available in the EV6 just didn’t line up in time for its early 2022 launch.

“We started the Kia Connect project around 12 to 18 months ago, and it takes that long,” Rivero said.

It’s worth noting that while the EV6 went on sale in Australia in February this year, production for those first deliveries would have occurred sometime in 2021.

So, when will Kia Connect appear in the EV6?

Rivero said buyers can expect to see it become available at facelift time, which Kia calls 'PE' for Product Enhancement. Based on its launch timing and the usual five-to-six-year lifetime of most Kia models, that should be around 2024 or 2025.

That will be the case for all Kia models going forward, too. The next model to launch with Kia Connect will be the facelifted Seltos SUV, due in Australia later this year.

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Can I retrofit Kia Connect into my existing Kia?

Owners of existing Kia models hoping for a retrofit upgrade to Kia Connect –similar to Mazda offering an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto upgrade to owners of compatible models – will miss out, Rivero confirmed.

Where the Mazda initiative allowed owners to upgrade their display hardware and wiring at a cost of $500, upgrading an existing Kia model to accommodate Kia Connect would be a lot more work – including not only the addition of a new display and processor, but also mobile data connectivity hardware, a new switch panel for the additional buttons, and wiring and chips to connect it all.

“There’s no retro-fitting option, Kia Connect will only be offered in all-new and facelift models. It’s simply too big a hardware upgrade to manage as a retrofittable option in existing vehicles," Rivero said.

Australian buyers of new and facelifted models can at least be assured that our market’s version of Kia Connect is a full-featured suite that rivals – and in some cases outdoes – what is offered for Kia models in other markets.

“Some markets don’t tick all the boxes – some aren’t going to offer it for seven years free, and some might decide ‘immobilisation is something our market won’t implement’. So in terms of features, we’re very much aligned with the rest of the world."

Rivero added that more features are coming in later updates: “This is only phase one,” he said.

“The second phase adds over-the-air updates, so that’s going to make the customer experience even more convenient – where a sat-nav map can be updated at any time from home, or they could purchase upgrades through the system, that sort of thing.”

While most Kia Connect features will likely be considered welcome by most buyers, the ability to purchase upgrades through the Kia Connect system could be a portent of the sort of downloadable software and built-in hardware features that can already be enabled – ‘unlocked’ at an additional cost – in models from Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.