KIA Sportage - Kia grey import?

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Tue 31 Oct 2017 23:49
KIA Sportage - Kia grey import? - Kevin Davies

Hi!

I was looking to buy a Kia Sportage 2.0 XS auto petrol, 2009 registration today. The plan failed miserably as getting an insurance quote was proving a complete pain.

The problem appears to be that this car is not UK spec.

Kia in the UK have said (on the basis of the VIN number) it was from Malaysia but they have no knowledge / record of it being imported.

The DVLA note it was first registered in 2009 and manufactured in 2009, but according to VIN-info.com the car was manufactured in 2006.

I had put a deposit down on the thing, but I'm very tempted to ask for it back as the dealers assertion that it was a 2009 one owner car is looking increasingly unlikely.

8 years ago were cars being imported and registered from Malaysia? Were those cars being registered as new with the DVLA when they weren't new? Is the VIN plate date of manufacture going to be correct? Is it likely for the car to have been sitting doing nothing in Malaysia for 3 years, before being sent over here?

Thanks

Kevin

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Wed 1 Nov 2017 07:24
KIA Sportage - Kia grey import? - badbusdriver

I look at Japanese imported cars on a pretty regular basis, and I have certainly noticed many discrepancies with regards to the the actual age of the vehicle and what the UK registration implies. I don't know all the in's and out's of why this happens, but my advice is to get your deposit back and move on. You certainly have the grounds for this, so I can't see any reason the seller could refuse. Apart from the insurance problem, which you've already discovered, you may also have problems getting parts for the car. Also, it may not be undersealed to the standard necessary for a country that puts salt on its roads in winter!

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Wed 1 Nov 2017 08:09
KIA Sportage - Kia grey import? - Falkirk Bairn

There is a local assembly company in Malaysia (Nazza) that build some Kia models for the Malaysian market.

How it came here will remain a mystery.

A friend of a friend bought a Subaru Legacy, about 10 years ago, which was a "grey import". Car was fine except when it came to the odd spare. Wiring harness / a/c pipe routing was different - with a fuel issue he had a part made locally as the Subaru UK (IM Group) supplied parts were the wrong shape & length.

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Wed 1 Nov 2017 08:50
KIA Sportage - Kia grey import? - RT

It's one thing to consider a grey import of a model not available in the UK - but a grey import of a model available here should be a big no-no if you're sensible.

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Wed 1 Nov 2017 13:43
KIA Sportage - Kia grey import? - Kevin Davies

Thanks for all the replies - it is appreciated.

Currently the dealers are being a***y about giving me my deposit back, but I am arguing that a "2009 Kia Sportage SR, 1 owner, and full service history" is not the same as a 2006 non UK spec car with probably more than one owner, a missing chunk of service history and possibly clocked in the process of importing it and converting it from kms to miles (which partially explains the low mileage.)

Joy! :-)

Thanks again.

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