Kia Motors
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Kia Motors Company is a South Korean automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Yangjae-Dong Seocho-Gu Seoul, Korea. Its president is Chung Eui-sun.
History
Kia was founded in 1944, and is South Korea's oldest car company. It later produced several Mazda models under licence, including the Pride (based on the 121) and Avella, which were sold in North America and Australasia as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire. The name "Kia" (기아, 起亞) roughly translates as "Arising from Asia" in Korean and Chinese characters.
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. Despite being taken over by Hyundai, Kia vehicles were considerably less reliable than those from competitors, and relied largely on ten-year powertrain warranties for sales. (Also see Hyundai Motor Company) Kia has consistently ranked last on J.D. Power and Associates durability index. In recent years however, Kia has worked to improve the reliabilty of their vehicles and for one year (2004), it improved to 2nd last (Last place went to Land Rover). The next year it regained its traditional title as the least durable.
Kia's troubles in 1997 helped to push South Korea into the Asian financial crisis, and it was acquired in 1998 by the Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai resisted this move but were forced by the Korean government to take over Kia as part of the strategy to fix Korea's financial crisis.
Due to the success that came to Kia after Hyundai took over, Kia sales have improved dramatically 1998-2005. Kia announced on March 12, 2006 that they would build their first North American plant in West Point, Georgia [link].
Kia also manufactures bicycles, some of which are sold in the United States.
Affiliations and subsidiaries
Kia is one of the companies of the Hyundai Motor Group and has four subsidiaries:- Kia Motors Europe
- Doongpung Ywieda Kia
- Kia Motors America
- Asia Motors, Ltd
Model Lineup
Passenger Car
- Kia Motors Group
- Avella (was rebadged as the Ford Aspire in North America)
- Brisa (based on the Mazda Familia)
- Capital
- Concord (based on the Mazda Capella)
- Potentia (based on the Mazda Luce)
- Sephia/Mentor
- Pride (based on the Ford Festiva/Mazda 121)
- Visto (based on the Hyundai Atos/Santro)
- Amanti/Opirus
- Clarus/Credos
- Clarus/Credos II
- Elan/Vigato/Kia Roadster (based on the Lotus Elan)
- Enterprise (based on the Mazda Sentia)
- Magentis/Optima
- Morning/Picanto
- Magentis/Optima/Optima-Regal
- Potentia(New)
- Rio/Pride
- Rio (Cinco/RX-V)
- Rio SF/Rio
- Sephia/Mentor(New)
- Sephia/Spectra/Shuma
- Spectra
- Spectra/Cerato
- Lotze/Optima/Magentis
- Kia Motors Group
- Sportage
- Bongo (based on the Mazda Bongo)
- Besta (based on the Mazda Bongo)
- Wide-Bongo
- Power-Bongo
- Topic (based on the Mazda Bongo)
- Towner (based on the Daihatsu Hi-Jet)
- Rocsta
- Rocsta R2
- Ceres
Hyundai Motor Group
- Bongo-Frontier/K Series
- Carens
- Carens/Carens II/X-Trek (2nd generation)
- Carens/Rondo (3rd generation)
- Carnival/Carnival II/Sedona
- Carnival/Sedona (2nd generation (SWB))
- Grand Carnival/Sedona (2nd generation (LWB))
- Sorento
- Sportage(CRDI/V6)
- Pregio
- Towner(New)
- Retona
- Joice/Carstar (concept by Mitsubishi Motors, design by Hyundai Motor Company, manufacturing by Kia Motors)
- Pregio/Bongo III
- K Series/Bongo III
Commercial Vehicle
- Kia Motors Group
- Kia KB(based on the Hino Truck)
- Rhino/Wide-Boxer
- Kia Trade
- Kia Boxer(based on the Mazda Boxer)
- Kia AM Truck(based on the Hino Truck)
- Kia AM Bus
- Kia Granbird (Asia Motors)
- Kia Titan (based on the Mazda Titan)
- Kia Super-Titan
- Kia Jumbo-Titan
- Kia Granto
- Kia Combi
- kia Cosmos
Hyundai Motor Group
- Kia Pamax (based on the Hyundai Mighty II)
- Kia Rhino (based on the Hino Ranger)
- Kia Granbird
- Kia Power-Combi
- Kia New Cosmos
- Kia Frontier (1.4ton/2.5ton)
See also
- Hyundai Kia Automotive Group
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Korean car makers
- Economy of South Korea
Worldwide External links
- Main (Korea & Other)
- [Kia Motors]
- [Kia Opirus Korea]
- [Kia Opirus Global]
- [Kia Motors International Homepage]
- [Kia Hotline]
- [Kia Amanti(Opirus)]
- [Kia Picanto(Morning)]
Asia
| Kia ([http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit])
|
| Avella | Besta | Bongo | Bongo Frontier/K-Series | Bongo III/K-Series | Brisa | Capital | Carens | Carnival/Sedona | Carstar/Joice | Cerato/Spectra | Ceres | Credos/Clarus | Concord | Elan | Enterprise | Magentis | Sephia/Mentor | Morning/Picanto | Opirus/Amanti | Optima/Optima Regal/Magentis | Potentia | Pride | Pregio/Bongo III | Rio | Rio/Pride | Retona | Towner | Shuma/Spectra | Sephia/Mentor | Sorento | Sportage | Visto (Hyundai) | Lotze/Optima/Magentis |
| Korean automobile |
| Hyundai Motor Company | Kia Motors | GM Daewoo | Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle | Daewoo Bus | SsangYong Motor Company | Renault Samsung Motors |
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