Jumat, 22 Januari 2010

Kia motor in Europe

Kia Motors Europe (KME) is the European sales and marketing division of Kia Motors Corporation (KMC). In the year 2007 KME moved from previous location at Hauptstrasse 185, Eschborn, Frankfurt to a new purpose built facility adjacent to the Messe Frankfurt city center.

From 1995-1999 Kia produced left and right hand drive versions of the Sportage SUV at the Karmann factory in Germany. From 1999 until production stopped in the model year 2003, all Sportage production returned to South Korea.

Kia began importing cars to Europe in early 1991, initially only sell Pride mini cars. Initially proved popular with buyers but sales fell toward the end of the decade and the end of the production was finally announced in May 2000, with his successor - the Rio - will not be sold for one more year.

European range expanded in 1994 when Kia began importing the larger Mentor, a mid-range hatchbacks and sedans are marketed as cheap and well equipped alternative to the likes of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall / Opel Astra. A facelift in 1999 saw the Mentor name retained for the salon, but the hatchback was renamed Shuma. This model remains on sale until 2004, when the newly launched Kia Cerato and provides one of the first serious competitors for mainstream brands.

Sportage SUV range has been popular in Europe, but since 2002 Kia has gained more sales in this market thanks to the launch of the larger Sorento.

Kia did not enter the great European family car market until the launch of Credos four-door sedan in 1999. This car is similar in size to a Ford Mondeo, but at launch really cheap to buy a smaller than the Focus. It has a spacious interior, large boot, which offers competitive prices and high equipment levels, but only a little more interesting sway buyers away from established European brands such as Ford Motor Company, Vauxhall / Opel, Renault and Peugeot. Predecessor, Magentis, launched in 2001, is still a place near as popular as Kia might have hoped to.

Kia entered the MPV market in 1999 with the Sedona. At launch, it was the cheapest full size people carrier on sale in the United Kingdom.

2004 saw the start of European imports for the Kia Picanto city car. This 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 arrival, only one model sold. The range has expanded gradually over time so the marque has a competitor in almost 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 that had just arrived in Europe at the beginning of the previous decade.

Rabu, 20 Januari 2010

Kia car at a glance

Kia Motors, is South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, which is owned by Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Its CEO Chung-eui sun. American arms Kia Motors America. On October 20, 2006, Kia Motors America formally hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for the first U.S. assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, at the initial cost of more than $ 1 billion.

Since 2005, Kia has started to focus on the European market and is currently one of the UK's fastest growing automobile companies and various other successes in the European market.

According to Kia Motors, the name "Kia" derives from the word-Sino-Korean word ki ( "to exit") and a (which stands for Asia), it is roughly translated as "appears, or come from Asia" or "rose from Asia ".

South Korea's oldest car company, Kia was founded in 1944 as a manufacturer of steel pipe and a bicycle. In 1952, Kia changed its name from Kyungsung Precision Industry, [3] and then build the motor (from 1957), trucks (1962) and cars (1974). Beginning in 1986, in partnership with Ford, Kia produced several Mazda derived vehicles for both domestic sales in South Korea and exported to other countries. This model includes Pride (based on the Mazda 121) and Avella, which sold in North America and Australasia as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire.

In 1992, Kia Motors America was founded in the United States. The first Kia-brand vehicles in the United States are 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 Sportage.

However, Kia's bankruptcy in 1997, part of the Asian financial crisis, resulting in 51% of the company being acquired in 1998 by South Korean rival Hyundai Motor Company, outbidding Ford Motor Company who have an interest in Kia Motors since 1986. Later, however, has removed some of Hyundai Kia Motors ownership, and now Hyundai Motor Company has less than 40% of the company.