Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CentralCali]

I missed this earlier.

[Smithington]

At the very least they will have to rename the car for the UK and Irish markets. There are already calls from some British MPs for a name change. If you google 'Kia Provo" the name controversy is among the very first search results. If you google "Kia Provo Ireland" you will see how upset many people are about the name choice. It's definitely stirring feathers. The Irish press is calling it a "terror-ible name" for a car. Simply stated, it cannot be marketed under that name. It will have to be changed.

Furthermore, millions of Americans know who the Provos were. They, after all, helped finance them. It is emphatically not just a south Boston thing. Many Irish Americans (of which there are millions) were a major source of funding and moral support for the Provos terror campaign. No British tourist wants to see people driving around New York in their Kia 'Provo'. Feelings are still very raw. The name might (conceivably) have to be changed for the North American market too.

The formal name of the IRA was the 'Provisional' IRA (hence "Provo'). An IRA man was in popular parlance, media reports and books about the Troubles a 'Provo'. Commentators talked about the 'Provo' terror campaign, etc.) The name of the car will simply have to be changed for the British and Irish markets. I will go as far as to say it will be changed for that market. If not, a lot of Kia Provo owners might find their car keyed overnight - or worse. Sales will be dismal.

A very stupid choice of a car name.

[jvalmer]

Ah... It's a concept car. No imminent plans to mass produce it. Probably only 2 working prototypes of the car and one made out of solid wood.

[Scorpion]

Forget a google search. Do a youtube search.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CZplggMIH8

[Smithington]

It's been covered by the international media, including Fox News and the CBC in Canada. The issue has been raised in the British parliament. To its credit, Kia has acknowledged its faux pas and decided not to sell the car in the UK or Ireland.

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2013/03/kia-provo-concept-kicks-off-controversy/

Clearly the offence was not intentional But this headache could have been avoided by a five minute internet search by Kia's research department. Now they have to repackage their product.

[Captain Corea]

[rollo]

There is a beautiful college town in utah named Provo , sits right in the Rockies.

So there is a town in ireland named Provo? Who woulda thunk it.

[young_clinton]

[hogwonguy1979]

it's not just Korean companies that are this stupid. A long time ago Chevrolet had a car called the Nova that they tried to market in Spain but were astonished that it didn't sell well despite excellent sales in the rest of the world.

Turned out that in Spanish "Nova" meant something to extent "No run"

Of course back then there was no google or online dictionaries

[rollo]

I am assuming the vehicle will not be named Provo if sold in Ireland. yes they have a habit of naming vehicles after cities in the American West. Most people will not connect that name to the ifish bomb throwers but to the utah city.

[CentralCali]

[rollo]

Back then" people could read and write and went things called libraries and used original sources. back then Geez read a book.

[Smithington]

Due to the controversy Kia has decided that, should the car go into production, they will drop the name 'Provo' altogether. The name will be changed across the board. We won't even be able to buy it under that name in the US....Back to the drawing board boys.

[JustinC]

[12ax7]