Yet, the good times were about to be tested by the time of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. Thanks to popular models like the Sephia sedan and the Sportage SUV, Kia was selling nearly 25,000 cars. One dealership at a time.īy 1995 though, Kia had more than 100 dealerships in over 30 states. Rather than pursuing an aggressive expansion, Kia’s growth in the US and North American markets was gradual. Kia’s excursion started with just 4 dealerships based in Portland, Oregon in 1992. They no longer had to wear the Ford badge anymore, as the first Kia-branded cars came to US shores. This escalated further in 1992.īy now, Kia has its subsidiary in North America, Kia Motors America. Or, as the Ford Aspire in Australasian markets (Australia, New Zealand, and some neighboring territories). All three of which were sold as the Ford Festiva in North America. It derived from Kia’s earlier Avella, as well as the Mazda 121. The first to come out of this new duo was the Kia Pride. Kia’s partnership with Ford was essential in their export to the US market. This single assembly plant first opened in 1973 and could make up to 2-million cars a year. Most of these came from their plant in Sohari. Remember that back then, Ford also had some controlling shares in Mazda. This ban was later lifted, and in 1986, Kia partnered with Ford to make cars once again. At the same time, Kia also made rebranded versions of Fiat’s 132 and Peugeot’s 604, all under license.Ī new dictator soon took charge of (South) Korea, which forced Kia to switch back to making trucks. They began with the Brisa, based on a Mazda platform, until 1981.
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Finally, their bread and butter came in 1974, when Kia then manufactured a series of Mazda-branded cars.
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And later, in 1962, Kia began making trucks under license by Mazda. But in any case, the Kia that we know and love today then evolved from bicycles to motorcycles in 1957.įirst, Honda motorcycles were built under license. Combined, ‘Kia’ means ‘arising from Asia’, or ‘to arise from Asia’. Fun fact, “Kia” is a portmanteau of the Korean words “Ki” (起 – meaning ‘to arise’ or ‘arising’) and “A” (亞細亞 – meaning ‘Asia’). However, they soon changed their name to ‘Kia’ in 1952, which has certainly been more memorable. Some years later, in 1951, they made Korea’s first domestically-produced bicycle. So, how could this once-scrappy company that made spare bicycle components and steel tubing become a major automaker? Kia was formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry, which was born in 1944. Final Thoughts Who Is Kia, And Why Do They Matter?Īs a prelude to learning about who makes Kia, let’s step back in time, and try to understand more about who Kia is.So, here’s a guide on who makes Kia, and the people behind them. This then coincides with Kia’s attention to detail in regards to performance, luxury, design, build quality, while still providing excellent value. In 2021, they’ve sold nearly 2.8-million cars worldwide, making them one of the globe’s biggest automakers. Kia (not counting its sister brand and partner, Hyundai), is a sprawling conglomerate. Thus, you’d probably be curious to know more about those who put it together. In recent times, Kia has garnered quite a strong following, even amongst ordinary car buyers. In this case, car enthusiasts are known to be suckers and fanboys of certain marques. Naturally, once you’ve adored a particular product, you soon start to become emotionally attached to the brand or manufacturer that builds them. One does wonder then, who makes Kia, the way we love them today? But fast forward just a few years later, Kia has become the aspirational brand that few of us thought it could be. They were ugly, cheaply made, slow, poorly built, and had a rocky reputation for reliability. I remember back in the day, not too long ago, when I mocked Kia (and Hyundai) cars endlessly.
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