Kia was founded in Korea in 1944 primarily as a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycle parts. The name Kia has roots in Chinese meaning to arise or come up out of Asia. By the early 1950′s, the company had produced Korea’s first bicycle and by the end of the decade, they had branched out to motor scooters. In the 1960′s, Kia expanded to motorcycles and 3 wheeled cargo vehicles. The next logical step was automobiles which the company began manufacturing by the 1970′s. By the mid to late 80′s, Kia had an expansive lineup of models which it sold domestically. In 1987, Ford brought one such model, the Kia Pride to the US market and rebadged it the Ford Festiva. Kia’sAvella was also imported and rebadged the Ford Aspire. Kia began selling into the US market under its own name by the 1990′s however, financial pressures by the late 90′s constricted the brand from expanding and introducing new models. Hyundai acquired the company in 1998 and helped to assist Kia in introducing several new models. Kia now has something to offer virtually every budget-minded buyer in the U.S. market. Kia has been on an upswing since its purchase by Hyundai, with improvements in build quality and overall refinement. Reliability had previously been a weak point, but improvements in that area and the initiation of a substantial warranty program in 2001, similar to that of Hyundai, have bolstered the company’s reputation with consumers.
Autoblog Kia
Autoblog Kia
Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #283 LIVE Monday, 21 May 2012, 10:25 pm
Filed under: Etc., Ford, GM, Kia, Holden
We record Episode #283 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, meaning you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below and chime in to direct our conversation. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #283 LIVE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | Dan Roth
Car Wars report predicts Hyundai, Kia will lose market share Friday, 18 May 2012, 11:14 pm
Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Earnings/Financials
The annual “Car Wars” report by Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy predicts that, despite their seizing of U.S. market share over the last few tumultuous years, Korean brands Hyundai and Kia will give it all back and then some to companies like Ford, General Motors and Toyota by 2016.
Murphy bases his predictions not on tea leaves or crystal balls, but rather the rate at which automakers launch new products. Ford will replace 26 percent of its product line over the next four years, a number that represents 46 percent of its volume, while General Motors will replace 25 percent and Toyota 24 percent. On account of these new product launches, Murphy says Ford can expect to add 0.8 percentage points of market share, General Motors will recover 0.5 points and Toyota will add another 0.3 points.
Other automakers that won’t be so aggressive in turning over their lineups with new models include Chrysler, Honda, Nissan and the European brands, which Murphy surmises will all remain flat in terms of market share.
Hyundai and Kia, meanwhile, will be introducing fewer new models than the rest and therefore, Murphy predicts, will see a 0.5 decline in U.S. market share.
Of course, these are all just predictions and can be blown to bits with the next unforeseen economic crisis or natural disaster, just like the last three years were. And there are other factors that might affect market share for each automaker during the next three years, including the availability of raw materials, exchange rates, union contracts, recalls and a million another minor things that might grow to become big things, not the least of which is consumers deciding they actually like all those new products being launched.
Car Wars report predicts Hyundai, Kia will lose market share originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | John Neff
Is Kia considering a diesel for the U.S.? Tuesday, 15 May 2012, 10:59 pm
Filed under: Kia, Rumormill, Diesel
If we had a dollar for every time we read a headline that said, “[insert automaker here] considering a diesel for U.S. market,” we’d have a pretty sizable stack of Washingtons. So why, then, is this story of particular interest?
After the website Efficient Automobile wrote about the possibility of Kia offering a diesel-powered Optima here in the United States, the automaker took things a step further, addressing this on its Facebook page. Kia’s North American public relations team asks its loyal followers, “Would you drive a diesel?” And from what we can tell after a quick scan of the comments, the yeses certainly seem to outweigh the nos.
In Europe, the Optima is available with a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel four, good for 134 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque. The decidedly vague story from Efficient Automobile also states that the diesel Optima shares many of the visual upgrades that we have on the U.S.-spec Optima Hybrid, including a lowered ride height and special wheels.
It’s worth mentioning that Kia’s North American PR Facebook account is largely geared towards the U.S. media, and we have yet to meet a single member of the automotive press who wouldn’t drive a diesel. But since Kia PR does not restrict its Facebook page, perhaps this is a small way for the automaker to gauge customer interest about the possibility of offering a diesel-powered car here in the United States. And to answer the question at hand, yes, Kia, we would.
Is Kia considering a diesel for the U.S.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | Steven J. Ewing
Kia Sedona not returning for 2013, replacement coming for 2014 Tuesday, 8 May 2012, 12:00 am
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Plants/Manufacturing, Kia, South Korea
The minivan segment has grown from fiercely competitive to downright cut-throat. With fairly new iterations of vehicles like the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, formerly acceptable entries like the Kia Sedona have fallen straight off the map. This isn’t news to the Korean automaker, either. Kia spokesman James Hope has confirmed there will be no 2013 Sedona.
But that doesn’t mean the company will stay away from the segment for too long. Hope made it clear Kia will be back with a new family hauler, though declined to share any details on the vehicle.
Odds are that means a new Sedona will come along in 2014 or so, though that’s just speculation on our part. While Kia refreshed the minivan in 2011, the changes didn’t cover much beyond a mildly reworked front fascia. The vehicle was still saddled with an embarrassing “Poor” rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety roof-crush test.
Kia Sedona not returning for 2013, replacement coming for 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | Zach Bowman
Kia teammates ruin 1-2 finish in Pirelli World Challenge race Thursday, 3 May 2012, 2:00 pm
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Kia
Kia had a bright start to the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge season, capturing its first podium in the series earlier this month with a solid third place finish at the Streets of Long Beach. It looked like Kia was going to build on that momentum this past weekend when its two Optima race cars found themselves in a 1-2 position with just a few laps left in the race. Would Kia capture their first World Challenge win in spectacular fashion? Well, the result was spectacular, but not in the way Kia would have preferred.
With just one lap to go, the two Kia teammates had developed a comfortable cushion between themselves and the rest of the GTS class field, and it seemed they would cruise home to a 1-2 finish. Apparently Colin Braun, driver of the No. 38 Kia, wasn’t about to let his teammate, Michael Galati, take the win that easily and made several bold attempts to pass with just a few turns to go. In the last corner of the last lap, Braun pushed too far and smacked into the rear fender of Galati, spinning him off track in the process.
The third place Acura of Peter Cunningham was collateral damage, leaving a pleasantly surprised Andy Lee to burst through the wreckage and take the checkered flag in his Chevrolet Camaro. Braun managed to finish second while his teammate Galati got back on track fast enough to finish in fourth. In a fitting twist of irony, the crash was reportedly named the Kia Turning Point of the Race.
You can watch the race footage over at www.world-challengetv.com. In case you don’t want to sit through all 65+ minutes of footage (although it’s an entertaining race), fast forward to the 56:30 mark to watch the final lap carnage. You can also read all about the race in the official results below.
Continue reading Kia teammates ruin 1-2 finish in Pirelli World Challenge race
Kia teammates ruin 1-2 finish in Pirelli World Challenge race originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | Drew Phillips
Kia K9 launches in Korea, export model to get new name Wednesday, 2 May 2012, 5:57 pm
Filed under: Sedan, Kia, Luxury, South Korea
We so wanted to lead this post with a Jim Belushi joke. Alas, the Kia press release announcing the launch of its rear-drive flagship in Korea today specifically clarifies that the K9 will be renamed for other markets.
While Kia says the large sedan rides on “its own platform,” we know enough about the auto industry to posit that much of that platform is shared with the underpinnings of corporate cousin Hyundai’s Genesis Sedan and Equus. Like the Hyundai pair, Kia is clearly hoping the not-called-K9-here will help the brand move upmarket, positioning the car as a premium product designed, in the words of Kia’s head of design Peter Schreyer, “to compete head-to-head with the European luxury brands.”
The Kia sedan will split the difference between the Genesis and the Equus, matching the 120-inch wheelbase of the latter, but with an overall length of 200 inches that’s three inches shorter than Equus and almost four inches longer than the Genesis. The Kia sedan will have the same 0.27 coefficient of drag as both the Hyundai models.
Kia says its luxury sedan will be powered by two distinct versions of the corporate 3.8-liter Lambda V6, one making 286 horsepower and the direct-injection version rated at 329. The more powerful engine is said to be “joining the global engine line-up next year,” which we’d expect would coincide with the flagship sedan’s U.S. launch. Both engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Kia says the car will be available with a number of safety features including a lane-departure warning system and blind sport detection. A reclining rear seat with leg rest will also be available, just like in the Equus.
Today’s announcement raises an interesting possibility. While we wouldn’t expect Kia to send its flagship stateside with the less-powerful V6 – indeed, a V8 engine option is surely bound to accompany an official statement of the car’s U.S. sales plan – doing so would certainly allow Kia to bring the car to market at a more attractive entry-level price. Kia has a scant resume when it comes launching anything other than budget models here in the U.S., and the brand certainly has considerable work to do if it aims to catch up to Hyundai in pricier segments.
It will certainly be interesting to see where Kia tries to position its unnamed sedan – and whether its (*ahem*) dogged pursuit of the luxury dollar will succeed. Scroll down to read the full press release and check out our gallery of K9 images.
Continue reading Kia K9 launches in Korea, export model to get new name
Kia K9 launches in Korea, export model to get new name originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | Jeff Sabatini
Kia takes Georgia plant offline after supplier fire Monday, 19 March 2012, 8:30 pm
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Safety, Hyundai, Kia
Kia is shutting down the lines at its West Point, GA, factory today, after a fire struck a nearby parts supplier. According to Reuters, the Kia plant will be closed for two days, with production scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning.
Kia builds its Optima sedan and Sorento crossover at the Georgia facility, and it also provides its corporate cousin Hyundai with Santa Fe crossovers. The plant operates three full shifts and has an annual production capacity of over 300,000 vehicles.
The fire broke out at a factory owned by Daehan Solution on Saturday, according to a local TV report, which described the damage as “major,” including a partially collapsed roof. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which is suspected to have started when a hot piece of metal was not allowed to cool before being discarded.
While a Kia spokesman told Reuters that the interruption would have a limited impact on sales, due to the plant’s inventory, Hyundai officials can’t be happy about the down time. Hyundai sales have been capacity constrained for months, as the company’s rapid growth in recent years has led to speculation that it will soon be expanding its manufacturing operations in the U.S.
Kia takes Georgia plant offline after supplier fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Autoblog Kia | Jeff Sabatini
2009 Kia Model Lineup
- 2009 Kia Sportage
- 2009 Kia Sorento
- 2009 Kia Sedona
- 2009 Kia Borrego
- 2009 Kia Spectra 5
- 2009 Kia Spectra
- 2009 Kia Rondo
- 2009 Kia Rio 5
- 2009 Kia Rio
- 2009 Kia Optima
- 2009 Kia Amanti
