Blog about KIA

South Korean car manufacturer, the second car manufacturer in the Republic of Korea. It is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. In 2016, 3,007,976 vehicles were sold worldwide.

Kia has slowly but steadily become a force to be reckoned with in the auto industry. The motor company has been known in the past for producing economical vehicles. The vehicles are still priced really well, but with top-notch engineering, safety features and, in some cases, funky style.

If you’re interested in knowing more about Kia Motors, read on for some interesting facts on the car company!

1. Australia is the only continent that does not have a Kia production facility.

2. Kia claims the title of owning the world’s largest car assembly factory. It’s located in Ulsan, South Korea.

3. Kia wasn’t originally called Kia. When the company was founded in 1944 its name was KyungSung Precision Industry. The name was changed to Kia in 1951.

4. Before Kia began selling cars and trucks, the company mainly sold motorcycles and bicycles.

5. Kia partnered with Twentieth Century Fox in 2016 to create the Sorento X-Car, shown above, inspired by Wolverine to promote “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” It was displayed at Melbourne Park during the Australian Open the following year.

6. Chief Kia Motor Designer Peter Schreyer is responsible for the tiger nose grille. Before Kia, he was designed for Audi and Volkswagen.

7. Hyundai purchased Kia in 1998 after Kia saw a sharp decline in sales. In 1999, both Korean auto companies were united under the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group.

8. The Kia Sorento is named after the city in Italy.

9. The first Kia vehicle sold in the U.S. was the Sephia.

10. The Kia Soul was introduced in 2010 with its first hamster commercial entitled “A New Way to Roll.” The ad was incredibly popular and birthed a now 10-year-long ad campaign with the Kia Soul hamsters. It also won “Automotive Ad of the Year” at the Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards.

Kia is famous today for the reliability factor, and this fame is not unsubstantiated. According to a study, conducted by iSeeCars, Kia has the third-lowest recall rate after Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. Moreover, the high pricing of the two German manufacturers effectively makes Kia the most reliable mass-market car brand.

So Many Awards in Such a Short Time
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 8

The low recall rate is not the only thing that underlines Kia’s outstanding reputation for reliability. In recent years, the South Korean manufacturer has also been making headlines for the large number of awards it has won. Kia vehicles consistently win the “best quality” awards from J.D. Power.

Related: Kia Forte and Cadenza Win AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

More recently, their Telluride SUV won the “Triple Crown” of automotive awards – the first SUV ever to do so. Triple Crown means winning three coveted awards– the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year from North American Car of the Year (NACTOY), MotorTrend SUV of the Year, and a Car and Driver 10 Best Award.

10 Interesting Facts About KIA 9

Kia has already made 3 consecutive iF Design hat tricks and since 2010 has been awarded a total of 18 iF Awards for its vehicle designs. In addition to this, the company has won several other automotive design & vehicle satisfaction awards from around the world.

Kia Designs Headed by Peter Schreyer
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 10

The reason why you see such stunning vehicle designs coming out from Kia lately is this man- Peter Schreyer. He is a German automobile designer widely famous for designing the VW Beetle & Audi TT. In 2006 the Audi TT was regarded as “one of the most influential automotive designs in recent time“. Schreyer joined Kia in 2006 and remains associated with the company.

Kia has a Different Logo in South Korea
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 1110 Interesting Facts About KIA 12
While we are well familiar with Kia’s oval logo, in their native South Korean market they use a stylized “K” logo which even inspired an aftermarket replacement badge in other countries. One of their most recent models the Stinger also comes with an “E” badge in South Korea. Nobody knows why, but it does look cool!

In hardly 20 years or so, South Korean automaker Kia has transformed itself from a rather unknown car brand into a global market leader. Kia vehicles are extremely popular all over the world, and their vast lineup includes everything from compact hatchbacks and SUVs to minivans and performance sedans. Kia owners from around the world praise their cars for affordability, outstanding quality and off course striking looks.

Related: Are Japanese Cars Better than Korean Cars?

Since Kia has presence in our market and has a decent fan base as well, we have compiled a list of interesting facts about the South Korean brand that you might not be aware of. Have a read:

Founded In 1944 as a Bicycle Manufacturer
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 110 Interesting Facts About KIA 2
Like most car manufacturers, Kia started in a business that had little to do with cars. In 1944, Kyungsung Precision Industry – the company that would eventually become Kia Motors was founded as a manufacturer of bicycle parts and steel tubes. In 1951, they achieved an important milestone by making the first Korean bicycle under the name of Samchully.

The Name Translates as “Rising from the East”
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 3

According to Kia, their name is not just a meaningless syllable. It actually consists of two Sino-Korean characters: 起 (ki), which means “to come out” or “to rise,” and 亞 (a), which means “East” or “Asia.” Hence, the name translates at “Coming from Asia” or “Rising from the East.”

They were Shut Down After a Military Coup in South Korea
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 4

In 1979, the South Korean government was overthrown in a military coup and Korea fell under the rule of a military dictator. As a result, all major industrial manufacturers were forced to repurpose themselves for military production – including Kia. The company had to entirely shut down the production of passenger cars in favor of light trucks.

Ford Helped Kia to Get Back into Car Production
10 Interesting Facts About KIA 510 Interesting Facts About KIA 6
Following the coup and its military effort contribution, Kia was looking for opportunities to get back into passenger cars. Unfortunately, the company didn’t have the resources or the technological base to do it on their own. Then came Ford and the two companies struck a deal where Kia would manufacture some of Ford’s models under a license for the South Korean market. The Kia Pride hatchback which was also the first Kia model to be introduced in Pakistan during the 90s was originally a Ford Festiva.

Now that we've covered Kia's history let's explore their achievements! Kia is famous for how reliable their cars are, and this fame is not unsubstantiated. According to a study, conducted by iSeeCars, Kia has the third-lowest recall rate after Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.

Moreover, the steep pricing of the two German manufacturers effectively makes Kia the most reliable mass-market car brand.

RELATED:
Kia Resists Recall Demands Despite Hundreds Of Documented Fires
10
Awards, So Many Awards
Kia vehicles lined up with awardsvia dealerinspire.com
The low rate of recalls is not the only thing that underlines Kia's outstanding reputation for reliability. In recent years, the Korean manufacturer has also been making headlines for its numerous awards.

Kia vehicles consistently win the "best quality" awards from J.D. Power. More recently, their Telluride SUV won the so-called "Triple Crown" of automotive awards - the first SUV to do so.

RELATED:
Kia Telluride Earns 2020 Edmunds Top Rated Honors
9
Pope Francis-Approved
Crowd greeting Pope Francis who is waving at them from a Kia SoulVia businesskorea.co.kr
Many car brands sometimes employ famous people to serve as their brand ambassadors. Few ever managed to recruit someone as famous as Pope Francis - but Kia did! During his visit to Abu Dhabi, the Pope got around in a simple, understated Kia Soul, The Drive writes. Less is, indeed, more - and the Pope knows it.

RELATED:
2020 Kia Soul: Everything We Know So Far
8
Kia Also Manufactures Military Vehicles
Camo Kia military vehiclevia Kia
Kia's business is fueled to a large extent by affordable hatchbacks and SUVs. However, they also have more extravagant offerings in their portfolio. Kia is a contractor for the South Korean military and supplies them with a wide range of vehicles.

7
They Focus On The European Market
Bronze Kia Sorentovia Motor Trend
Kia has a strong presence almost all around the globe, but it seems like in recent years the European market has been their priority. In 2018, they achieved record sales of 494,304 cars in their tenth consecutive year of growth. It's hard to compete with the domestic players in Europe, but Kia shows no signs of slowing down!

6
European Origins Of The Kia Ceed
Blue Kia Ceedvia autoevolution.com
To really understand how much Kia values their European customers, consider the Kia Ceed. This compact hatchback is exclusive to the European market, was designed by a Hungarian designer in Frankfurt and its name stands for "Community of Europe, European Design."

Yes, that's right: just like many other car manufacturers, Kia started in a business that had little to do with cars. In 1944, Kyungsung Precision Industry - the company that would eventually become Kia Motors - was founded at a manufacturer of bicycle parts and steel tubes.

In 1951, they achieved an important milestone by making the first Korean bicycle under the name of Samchully.

14
The Name Translates As "Rising From The East"
Black Kia K9via Motor 1
As Kia themselves claim, their name is not just a meaningless syllable. It actually consists of two Sino-Korean characters: 起 (ki), which means "to come out" or "to rise," and 亞 (a), which means "East" or "Asia." Hence, the name translates at "Coming from Asia" or "Rising from the East."

13
They Had To Shut Down After A Military Coup In South Korea
Soldiers lined up on the streetvia timshorrock.com
In 1979, the South Korean government was overthrown in a military coup and Korea fell under the rule of a military dictator. As a result, all major industrial manufacturers were forced to repurpose themselves for military production - including Kia. The company had to entirely shut down the production of passenger cars in favor of light trucks.

12
Ford Helped Kia Get Back Into Production
Grey Kia Pridevia wheelsage.org
Following the coup and its military effort contribution, Kia was looking for opportunities to get back into passenger cars. Unfortunately, the company didn't have the resources or the technological base to do it on their own. Enter Ford! The two companies struck a deal where Kia would manufacture some of Ford's models under a license for the South Korean market.

In a little over 20 years, Kia Motors turned from a relatively unknown underdog car manufacturer into a global market leader. Kia vehicles are extremely popular all over the world, and their vast lineup includes everything from compact hatchbacks and SUVs to minivans and performance sedans.

Kia owners, both stateside and overseas, praise their cars for the affordability, outstanding quality, and simplicity. That last bit is not to say that Kia cars are way too basic and unexciting - in recent years, their tech and features grew to match those of their competitors. Some enthusiasts say that Kia today is what the Japanese car makers were in the 1990s and early 2000s - a manufacturer of affordable, reliable and quality cars for the people.

Of course, Kia might not be like Ferrari or Porsche in terms of its heritage, status, and the "cool factor." Nevertheless, there is still plenty of interesting, little-known gems in Kia's history. In this article, we've compiled a few little known facts about Kia Motors that might just change your opinion on the humble, yet determined Korean manufacturer.

Kia Motors is the second-largest South Korean automaker that is also serving many parts across the globe. It is a subsidiary of Hyundai, the country’s leading automaker that is also the fourth largest in the world. Here are some more interesting facts about Kia that you might not know before reading this article: