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.