Kia Motors, a subsidiary of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea's 2nd largest automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Its CEO is Chung Eui-sun. The American arm is Kia Motors America. On October 20, 2006, Kia Motors America formally hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its first US assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, at an initial cost of over $1 billion. Since 2005, Kia has started to focus on the European market and is currently the UK's fastest growing car company and had various other successes in the European market.History
According to Kia Motors, the name "Kia" derives from the Sino-Korean words ki ("to come out") and a (which stands for Asia), it is roughly translated as arise or come up out of Asia or rising out of Asia.
South Korea's oldest car company, Kia was founded in 1944 as manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycles. In 1952, Kia changed its name from Kyungsung Precision Industry, and later built motorcycles, trucks and cars. Starting in 1986, in partnership with Ford, Kia produced several Mazda derived vehicles for both domestic sales in South Korea and exports into other countries. These models include the Pride (based on the Mazda 121) and Avella, which were sold in North America and Australasia as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire.
In 1992, Kia Motors America was incorporated in the United States. The first Kia-branded vehicles in the United States were sold from four dealerships in Portland, Oregon in February 1994. Since then, Kia expanded methodically one region at a time. Dealers in 1994 sold the Sephia, and a few years later the United States line expanded with the addition of the Sportage.
However, Kia's bankruptcy in 1997, part of the Asian financial crisis, resulted in the company being acquired in 1998 by South Korean rival Hyundai Motor Company, outbidding Ford Motor Company which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986.
Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2008, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share.
Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe (KME) is the European sales and marketing division of Kia Motors Corporation (KMC). In 2007 KME moved from its previous location at Hauptstrasse 185, Eschborn, Frankfurt to a new purpose built facility adjacent to the Messe in Frankfurt city centre.From 1995 to 1999 Kia produced left and right hand drive versions of the Sportage SUV at the Karmann factory in Germany. From 1999 until production of the model ceased in 2003, all Sportage production reverted to South Korea.
Kia began importing cars to Europe in early 1991, initially selling just the Pride mini-car. It initially proved popular with buyers but sales fell towards the end of the decade and the end of production was finally announced in May 2000, with its successor — the Rio — not going on sale for another year.
The European range expanded in 1994 when Kia began importing the larger Mentor, a range of medium sized hatchbacks and saloon which were marketed as cheap and well-equipped alternatives to the likes of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall/Opel Astra. A facelift in 1999 saw the Mentor name retained for the saloon, but the hatchback was renamed Shuma. These models remained on sale until 2004, when the newer Cerato was launched and gave Kia one of its first serious competitors for mainstream brands.
The Sportage SUV range has been popular across Europe, but since 2002 Kia has gained more sales in this market thanks to the launch of the larger Sorento.
Kia did not enter Europe's large family car market until the launch of its Credos four-door saloon in 1999. This car was similar in size to the Ford Mondeo, but on its launch was actually cheaper to buy than the smaller Focus. It had a spacious interior, large boot, competitive asking price and high equipment levels, but it had little more appeal to sway buyers away from established European brands like Ford Motor Company, Vauxhall/Opel, Renault and Peugeot. Its successor, the Magentis, launched in 2001, was still nowhere near as popular as Kia might have hoped it would be.
Kia entered the MPV market in 1999 with the Sedona. On its launch, it was the cheapest full-size people carrier on sale in the United Kingdom.
2004 saw the commencement of European imports for the Kia Picanto city car. It has proved very popular with budget buyers in most of Europe.
As of 2007, Kia has been importing cars to Europe for 16 years. On its arrival, just one model was being sold. The range has gradually expanded over that time so the marque has a competitor in just about every sector except for the luxury and sports market. Sales of its products have so far failed to match those of established European brands, but current sales records have been impressive for a marque which only arrived in Europe at the start of the previous decade.
Kia Defense
Kia Motors has specialized in the production of military vehicles with variants and other transportation equipment and by supplying them as a sole maker of military vehicles designated by the South Korean Government since 1976, when Kia Heavy Industry Co., Ltd was established. Kia is currently designing an Kaiser Jeep M715-type vehicle named the KM450 for the South Korean Army on license from the U.S. Government. KIA Defense produces six vehicles:
KM42 half ton to three quarter ton variants of the M715
KM-45 modern variant of the M715
KM-25 variant of the M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
KM-50 variant of the M809 Truck both as 5 ton and 7 ton variants
KM-100 8x8 heavy tactical truck
K53 similar to the Swedish BV amphibious tracked vehicle
MODELS
KIA Morning/Picanto
The Kia Morning', known as the Kia Picanto in export markets (except in Chile, where it is badged with its original name and Taiwan where it is known as the Kia EuroStar), Kia New Morning in Vietnam and the Naza Suria in Malaysia, is a low cost city car produced in South Korea by Kia Motors (internal model index SA).The Morning/Picanto is based on a shortened platform of the Hyundai Getz. It is available with either 1.0 or 1.1 L petrol engines. A 3-cylinder diesel engine (based on the Kia Cerato's 1.5 CRD four-cylinder unit), with direct injection and a variable geometry turbocharger, has been available in the European market since Spring 04, with power reaching 75 PS (55 kW). The Morning is 3,495 mm (137.6 in) long with a five-door hatchback body. Automatic gearboxes are optional in the petrol units.
KIA cee'd
The Kia cee'd is a small family car released in the European market by the Korean manufacturer Kia Motors in December 2006. It is available as a five-door hatchback, three-door hatchback ("pro_cee'd"), and five-door estate ("cee'd SW"), with a choice of up to five engines (three petrol and two diesel), four trim levels (S, GS, LS, SR) and either manual or automatic transmissions — and is sold in over 20 variants of the above in some markets. Kia used the Paris Motor Show 2006 to preview a five-door estate variant in production form, and a three-door concept, both of which were to be on sale from Autumn 2007, combining with the five door hatchback model to give a model range of over 50 variants in some markets. The Hyundai i30 shares the platform with cee'd.KIA Rio
The Kia Rio is a subcompact car produced by the South Korean automaker Kia Motors and introduced in August 2000 for the 2001 model year. In the company's lineup, it replaced the smaller Kia Pride, which ceased production in 2000.KIA Spectra
The Kia Spectra or Kia Cerato is a compact car / small family car produced by the Korean automaker Kia Motors since 2000, originally sold only as a hatchback. When the car was redesigned in 2004-05, it later became Kia's top-selling vehicle in the United States, which it remains.KIA Optima
The Kia Optima/Magentis is a mid-size four-door sedan manufactured by Kia Motors and marketed globally through two generations and various nameplates.The car has been marketed as the Lotze in South Korea, and as the Optima in the United States since 2001, the Magentis Australia since 2001, and Europe since 2002. In Chile the first generation was marketed as Optima, and since as Magentis. In Canada it is marketed as the Magentis.
The Optima is produced for the Chinese market by the Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company, a joint venture with Kia.
KIA Opirus
The Kia Opirus (known as Amanti in North America) is a full-size luxury car / executive car produced by Kia Motors of South Korea that was launched in April 2003. The Opirus/Amanti was Kia's first entry into the large-car market. It is sold in a single trim level and only as a sedan, and has an MSRP of US$26,875. It shares some components with its now-defunct corporate cousin, the Hyundai XG Grandeur, including its 3.5 L V6 engine.KIA Soul
The Kia Soul is a subcompact, mini MPV produced in South Korea for the global market. It was designed at Kia's design center in California, and unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Production began in late 2008, with the first vehicles appearing at European dealerships in February 2009 and North American dealerships in March 2009, as a 2010 model.
KIA Carens
The Kia Carens is a compact MPV launched in 1999 by the Korean manufacturer Kia. It was discontinued in Australia in 2001, but production continued elsewhere for a new model which was launched in 2003. In 2006 a new Carens has been presented as a 2007 model year. The Carens/Rondo is slotted below the Kia Carnival/Sedona in Kia's minivan lineup.
