Kia vehicles are engineered to break boundaries—and look good while doing it. On top of sleek profiles and aerodynamic styling, both the 2022 EV6 and 2023 Sportage Hybrid offer customers an additional way to stand out: a distinctive, matte finish. While the EV6 GT-Line trim offers a lighter Steele Matte Gray exterior paint, the Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige offers a darker Shadow Matte Gray color—but both paints serve up an all-over “flat” finish. Matte finish paint will also be available on the 2023 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid (coming soon).
Customers need to be made aware that this unique matte finish requires special treatment and should never be treated with products made for normal paint or taken through commercial car wash facilities. Let’s review some tips and resources on caring for the matte finish to help ensure your customer can enjoy their vehicle’s unique exterior for years to come.
Do’s and Don’ts
When caring for matte finish paint, be sure to keep the following in mind:
- Do not use wax, detail spray, or any products made for normal paint. Only use products specifically developed for matte finish paint
- Do not use commercial car wash facilities or their shine enhancement products
- Do not use mechanical cleaners or polishers
- Do not use products that are even mildly abrasive, such as polishes, glazes, or rubbing compounds
- Hand-wash with a soft wash mitt and mild cleaning product safe for matte paint
- Do not use terrycloth, cloth, or paper towels on the paint
- Do not rub the finish vigorously—this will burnish the paint finish, causing a permanent shiny spot; shiny spots cannot be removed
- Use a soft applicator and mild solvent to remove foreign substances such as insect remains, tar, and road debris; saturate and soak the area before cleaning, then rub lightly
- Use microfiber cleaning cloths with an alcohol-based window cleaner for basic surface clean-up
Delivering a Vehicle with Matte Finish Paint
At delivery, a Matte Paint Care Guide must be distributed to the customer to ensure they are aware of the special care required to maintain their vehicle’s unique finish. After reviewing the care guide with your customers, they must sign the Matte Finish Paint Customer Acknowledgement at the end of the guide, which is then retained by the dealership.
If there is an opportunity, use the eDelivery Tool to show customers the Matte Paint Care Features & Functions video on your tablet. If there is not time during delivery to review the video, be sure to direct customers to the Kia Features & Functions YouTube™* channel to learn more on their own.
For more information, you can also checkout the 2022 EV6 ePRG and the 2023 Sportage Hybrid ePRG on the Kia Product Presentation Center.
Washing the Matte Finish
When it comes time to clean the vehicle’s exterior, Kia recommends handwashing for the greatest longevity of the available matte finish paint. Familiarize yourself with the recommended washing process below.
- Pre-rinse the car with a hose or pressure washer to cool it and to remove large pieces of dirt that can scratch the paint (Note: Keep the hose handy for frequent rinsing)
- Prepare one bucket with matte paint car wash solution and water, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations
- Fill a second bucket with clean water for rinsing the wash mitt. Your strategy when washing the car will be to put only a clean mitt into the wash solution, therefore, you will always rinse the mitt first
- Soak the wash mitt in the wash solution and wash the vehicle lightly, working in small sections from the bottom to the top
- Wash a section, then use the hose to rinse the soapy section of the vehicle completely before moving to another section
- Continue washing each section and repeat the rinse, wash, and rinse steps until the car is clean
- For best appearances when drying the vehicle, use a clean, damp chamois, sponge cloth, or microfiber towel to dry the vehicle before it air dries. If the paint surface is starting to air dry, dampen the areas that are not drying
*Safety Information and Legal Disclaimers:
YouTube™: YouTube™ is a trademark of Google LLC.