Kia facts for kids

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Kia Corporation
Kia's logo since 2021
Kia's main office in Seoul
Native name	기아 주식회사
Formerly	Kyungsung Precision Industry Kia Motors Corporation
Type	Public
Traded as	KRX: 000270
Industry	Automotive
Founded	June 9, 1944; 81 years ago (1944-06-09)
Headquarters	Seoul , South Korea
Area served	Worldwide (except Japan, North Korea, Cuba, Afghanistan)
Key people	Chung Eui-sun (chairman) Song Ho-Sung (president & CEO) Karim Habib (chief design officer)
Products	Automobiles Commercial vehicles
Production output	2.6 million (2021)
Owner	Hyundai Motor Company (33.88%) National Pension Service (6.91%) Chung Eui-sun (1.74%)
Number of employees	51,975 (2021)
Subsidiaries	Kia America Kia Canada Kia India Kia Central & South America Kia Europe Kia Mexico

Kia
Hangul	기아
Hanja	起亞
Revised Romanization	Gia
McCune–Reischauer	Kia

Kia Corporation (Hangul: 기아, IPA: [ki.a]) is a big company from South Korea that makes cars. Its main office is in Seoul. Kia is the second largest car maker in South Korea, right after its parent company, Hyundai Motor Company. In 2019, Kia sold over 2.8 million vehicles around the world.

Hyundai Motor Company owns about 33.88% of Kia. In return, Kia owns a small part of more than twenty Hyundai companies.

What "Kia" Means

The name "Kia" comes from two Sino-Korean characters. The first character, 起 (pronounced ki), means 'to arise' or 'to come out'. The second character, 亞 (pronounced a), stands for Asia. So, the name "Kia" roughly means "Rising from Asia."

History of Kia

Kia Motors' factory in South Korea

Kia logo from 1994 to 2021

How Kia Started

Kia started on June 9, 1944. Back then, it was called Kyungsung Precision Industry. The company first made steel tubes and parts for bicycles. In 1951, they made Korea's first bicycle, called the Samchuly.

In 1952, the company changed its name to Kia Industries. Later, Kia started making small motorcycles under a license from Honda (in 1957). They also made trucks (in 1962) and cars (in 1974) under a license from Mazda. Kia opened its first car factory, the Sohari Plant, in 1973.

Kia made small cars called the Brisa until 1981. At that time, a new government rule made Kia stop making passenger cars. They had to focus only on light trucks.

Partnering with Ford

In 1986, Kia started making cars again by partnering with Ford. Kia made several cars based on Mazda designs. These cars were sold in South Korea and exported to other countries as affordable options. Examples include the Kia Pride (based on the Mazda 121) and the Avella. These were sold in North America as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire.

In 1992, Kia Motors America was started in the United States. The first Kia cars were sold in the U.S. in 1993, at four dealerships in Portland, Oregon. Kia slowly grew, adding more dealerships and models like the Sephia and Sportage. By 1995, there were over one hundred Kia dealerships in thirty states.

Hyundai Takes Over

In 1997, during a financial crisis in Asia, Kia went bankrupt. In 1998, Hyundai Motor Company bought 51% of Kia. Hyundai outbid Ford, which had owned a part of Kia since 1986. Today, Hyundai Motor Company still owns about one-third of Kia. Kia also owns parts of some Hyundai companies.

Recent Developments

Since 2005, Kia has focused on making its cars look great. They decided that design would be key to their future success. In 2006, they hired Peter Schreyer as their chief design officer. He created a new look for Kia cars, especially the front grille, which is now known as the 'Tiger Nose'.

In 2010, Kia opened a big car factory in West Point, Georgia, in the United States. This factory was a huge investment for the company. In early 2021, Kia also introduced a new, angular logo.

Kia Around the World

Kia America

Kia Sportage

Kia K5

Kia Sorento

Kia Stinger

Kia Forte/Cerato

Kia Telluride

A fleet of electric and hybrid-electric Kia vehicles

Kia America, Inc. handles sales and marketing for Kia in the United States. It started in California in 1992. Kia America is based in Irvine, California, and sells cars through more than 755 dealers across the U.S. The first models sold in the U.S. were the Kia Sephia and Kia Sportage in 1993.

Some of Kia's newer models, like the 2018 Stinger and the 2020 Telluride, have won many awards. Kia has also been recognized for its high quality.

In 2009, Kia started making cars at its U.S. factory in West Point, Georgia. This factory first made the Kia Sorento. Later, it added the Kia Optima (now called K5) and the Kia Telluride. By 2019, the factory had built over 3 million cars. It can now make 340,000 vehicles each year.

Kia Canada

Kia Canada Kia Canada was created in 1999 to serve the Canadian market. Its main office is in Mississauga, Ontario. Kia Canada is known for its SUVs and crossovers, which are popular vehicles. They are also making more electric and hybrid cars. In 2021, Kia Canada introduced a new slogan: "Movement that inspires."

Kia Europe

Kia Europe is in charge of sales and marketing for Kia in Europe. Kia has been selling cars in Europe since 1991. The first car they sold was the Kia Pride, which was a small car. It was popular at first.

From 1995 to 1999, Kia made the Sportage SUV in Germany. Later, in 2002, the larger Kia Sorento helped Kia sell even more cars in Europe. Kia also introduced other models like the Mentor and Shuma.

In 1999, Kia launched the Sedona, a large family car, in Europe. It was the cheapest full-size people carrier in the United Kingdom. By 2009, Kia was a very popular brand in Britain, selling over 50,000 cars a year. The Kia Picanto was one of their most popular models.

In 2006, Kia opened its first factory in Europe, located in Žilina, Slovakia. This factory has made over 2.5 million cars, including the Kia Cee'd, Kia Sportage, and Kia Venga. It also produces seven types of engines.

Kia Mexico

Kia built a large car factory in Pesquería, Mexico. This factory can produce 300,000 cars each year. It was completed in 2016.

Kia India

Kia India Kia entered the Indian market in July 2019 with the Kia Seltos SUV. The company built a factory in Andhra Pradesh, India, which can produce 300,000 cars annually. Kia has invested a lot of money to set up its operations and a network of over 250 customer service points in India.

In July 2020, Kia reached a big milestone by selling 100,000 cars in India. This made them the fastest car manufacturer to achieve this in the country.

Kia Defense

A Ukrainian KM-450 military vehicle, produced by Bogdan Group

Kia KM420

Kia Raycolt light tactical vehicle

Kia Motors also makes military vehicles. Since 1976, Kia has been the only company chosen by the South Korean Government to make military vehicles. They make different types of transportation equipment for the South Korean Army. For example, Kia is designing a vehicle called the KM450, similar to an old U.S. military jeep.

Popular Kia Models

List of Kia vehicles

Top-Selling Kia Models in 2021

Best-selling Kia models in 2021
Rank	Model	Global sales
1	Sportage/KX5	359,800
2	Seltos/KX3	318,034
3	Rio/K2	241,658
4	Forte/Cerato/K3	241,138
5	Sorento	222,629
6	Optima/K5	207,359
7	Picanto/Morning	168,729
8	Niro	151,122
9	Carnival	124,496
10	Stonic/KX1	106,246

Design Focus

Kia decided in 2006 that car design would be very important for its future. They hired Peter Schreyer as their chief design officer. Schreyer had worked for famous car companies like Audi and Volkswagen before. He was given the job of making Kia cars look unique and easily recognizable.

Schreyer created a special front grille for Kia cars, which he called the Tiger Nose. He wanted people to be able to spot a Kia car right away, even from far away. He said, "A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive." Since then, all Kia vehicles, from small cars like the Kia Soul to larger SUVs like the Kia Telluride, feature the Tiger Nose grille.

Kia cars have won several awards for their design.