PHOTOS/VIDEO: Rafael Nadal at the Kia event at Australian Open 2022

(MELBOURNE) 13 January 2022 – Ahead of the anticipated Australian Open kicking off on Monday, the newly-named Kia Arena today hosted Kia’s annual Kia Fleet Handover Ceremony, debuting the manufacturer’s first fully-electric, high-performance vehicle, the Kia EV6, in celebration of 21 years as the major partner.

The event saw Kia handover the keys to this year’s 130-strong fleet of cars including 10 yet to be released the Kia EV6 models, which are dedicated to ensuring Australian Open players, officials and VIP guests are transported safely and in style.

World tennis legends and Kia ambassadors Dylan Alcott, who is playing his last grand slam before retirement, and Rafael Nadal, who is making a comeback after injury, also showcased the brand’s commitment to sustainability by using the Kia EV6’s Vehicle to Load function to power the impressive LED animation billboard at today’s ceremony.

Kia Australia Chief Executive Officer James Cho said, “This is an exciting year for the Grand Slam as stadiums fill up again with fans and we share the Kia Arena with revelers and the broader Tennis community.

Kia Arena is a true testament to our long-standing partnership with Tennis Australia, which continues to grow from strength to strength.

Together, we’re excited to welcome guests back to the precinct for fans and players to enjoy the exhilarating stadium experience once again.”

Australian Open Tournament Director, Craig Tiley added, “As we celebrate over two decades of our powerful partnership with Kia, we’re excited to mark the occasion with the naming of the Kia Arena. Kia has helped drive our success as a world-renowned sporting tournament and this year’s courtesy fleet is no different with the focus on the sustainable vehicles. We are looking forward seeing the premium Kia Arena come to life and another year collaborating with Kia as part of the Tennis Australia family.”

On a larger scale throughout the Australian Open, the Kia EV6 will also power elements of the ‘Kia Halo’, a world-first activation at Melbourne Park. The EV6 will take centre stage in the immersive and curvaceous 360-degree bespoke structure, a representation of the new Kia brand slogan, ‘Movement that Inspires’.

With the vehicle elevated on a bed of 250 aluminum rods choreographed to dance in a wave-like motion, the display is an interpretation of Kia’s brand evolution and its commitment to technology, innovation, and mobility.

Kia Australia General Manager of Marketing, Dean Norbiato continued, “As we welcome fans back to Melbourne Park this year, we needed to up our experiential game, and I am confident we’ve done that with our EV6 powered activation.

The ‘Kia Halo’ is an audacious, visually arresting display accompanied by a custom pink noise sound scape that brings the listener into a more inspired state of mind. It truly embodies our movement that inspires ethos.”

Kia has set out on its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and become a truly sustainable, responsible, and innovative mobility solutions leader. This vision is reflected as Kia prioritises sustainability in its Australian Open 2022 fleet with the introduction of 10 stylish EV6 vehicles, in addition to 70 athletic Sportage SUVs and 50 luxury Carnival people movers.

The Kia Halo activation and a collection of the Kia EV6 vehicles will be on display on Grand Slam Oval at Melbourne Park during Australian Open 2022 from Monday 17th January for two weeks.

Source: Kia

Photos: Kia; Australian open