Kia

Etymology

According to the company, "Kia" derives from the Hanja 起 (ki, 'to arise') and 亞 (a, which stands for 亞細亞, meaning 'Asia'); it is roughly translated as 'rising from (East) Asia'.

History

Origins and the early expansion

Kia was founded in May 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry (경성정밀공업; 京城精密工業), a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycle parts, eventually producing South Korea's first domestic bicycle, the Samchuly, in 1951. In 1952, Kyungsung Precision Industry changed its name to Kia Industries. The company later built Honda-licensed small motorcycles (starting in 1957), as well as Mazda-licensed trucks (1962) and cars (1974). The company opened its first integrated automotive assembly plant, the Sohari Plant, in 1973. Kia built the small Mazda-based Brisa range of cars until 1981, when production came to an end after the new military dictator, Chun Doo-hwan, enforced industry consolidation. This forced Kia to give up passenger cars and focus entirely on light trucks. Kia assembled a few hundred more cars in 1982 and 1983, after the ban had taken effect, but no passenger cars were built in 1984 or 1985.

Prior to the forced 1981 shutdown, Kia had rounded out its passenger car lineup with two other foreign models assembled under license: the Fiat 132 and the Peugeot 604. The import of these knock-down kits was permitted as long as Kia exported five cars for every single Fiat or Peugeot brought in; Hyundai had to meet the same requirement.

Starting in 1986 (when only 26 cars were manufactured, followed by over 95,000 the next year), Kia rejoined the automobile industry in partnership with Ford. Kia produced several Mazda-derived vehicles both for domestic sales in South Korea and for export into other countries, where they were positioned at the budget end of the market. These models included the Kia Pride, based on the Mazda 121, and the Avella, which were sold in North America and Australasia as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire. Kia Industries was renamed Kia Motors Corporation in 1990.

In 1992, Kia Motors America was incorporated in the United States. The first Kia-branded vehicles in the United States were sold from four dealerships in Portland, Oregon, in 1993. Since then, Kia methodically expanded one region at a time. Dealers in 1994 sold the Sephia, and a few years later, the United States segment expanded its line with the Sportage. Over one hundred Kia dealerships existed across thirty states by 1995, selling a record 24,740 automobiles.

Hyundai Motor Company takeover

Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997 during the Asian financial crisis and, in 1998, reached an agreement with Hyundai Motor Company to diversify by exchanging ownership between the two companies. Hyundai Motor Company acquired 51% in the company, outbidding Ford Motor Company, which had held an interest in Kia since 1986. After subsequent divestments, Hyundai Motor Company owns about one third of Kia Motor Corporation. While Hyundai Motor Company remains Kia's largest stakeholder, Kia also retains ownership in some 22 Hyundai subsidiaries.

Later development

Since 2005, Kia has focused on the European market and has identified design as its "core future growth engine" – leading to the hiring of Peter Schreyer in 2006 as chief design officer and his subsequent creation of a new corporate grille known as the 'Tiger Nose'. In October 2006, Kia Motors America broke ground for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Georgia, representing a US$1 billion investment for the company. Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia opened in February 2010, after Kia recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share.

Kia started using an angular "KIA" wordmark logo and removed "Motors" from its corporate name to become Kia Corporation from January 2021 onwards. In November 2021, Kia announced a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2045. The company said it planned to reduce 97% of its 2019-level carbon emissions and offset the remainder, while fully electrifying its vehicle line-up in Europe by 2035.

Kia's Tasman pickup truck made its global debut at the Jeddah International Motor Show in Saudi Arabia on 29 Oct. 2024. At its 2025 Kia EV Day in Tarragona, Spain, on 27 February 2025, Kia unveiled the EV4, the PV5—its first dedicated Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) model—and the Concept EV2, expanding its electrified line-up.

Board of directors

As of March 2023:

Chung Eui-sun, Chairman

Song Ho-sung, President and CEO

Choi Jun-young, Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer

Joo Woo-jeong, Executive Vice President & CFO

Han Chol-su, Outside Director

Jo Wha-sun, Outside Director

Chyun Chan-hyuk, Outside Director

Shin Jae-young, Outside Director

Jennifer Hyunjong Shin, Outside Director

Previous CEOs

Chung Eui-Sun (2005–2009)

Hyong-keun (Hank) Lee (2009–2017)

Park Han-woo (2017–2020)

Affiliates and subsidiaries

Hyundai Motor Company

As of 2025, Hyundai Motor Company is Kia’s largest shareholder, holding 137,318,251 common shares, or 35.17% of the company. Hyundai Motor Company and related parties together hold 36.99%, while the National Pension Service is disclosed as a major shareholder with a 7.25% stake.

Kia America

Kia Motors America (KMA), now known as Kia America, Inc., was incorporated in California on October 21, 1992, and became the American sales, marketing, and distribution arm of Kia Corporation. Kia America is based in Irvine, California, and currently offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States. The first two models that were introduced to the U.S. market in 1993 were KIA Sephia and Kia Sportage 4x4. In the United States, sales began in late 1993 for the 1994 model year, at four dealerships in Portland, Oregon.

As a brand, KMA has continued to improve over the years as well; in 2013, Kia Motors America recorded its 18th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share, and for the past five consecutive years (2015–2019) it has been recognized by J.D. Power as the highest ranked mass market brand in initial quality.

In November 2009, Kia started production at the first U.S. Kia Motors plant, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, in West Point. Though the Kia Sorento crossover vehicle was the only model to be assembled there at first, the facility has since expanded its production lines to include the Kia Optima mid-size sedan, now sold as the K5, in 2011 and the Kia Telluride crossover SUV in January 2019. As of September 2019, the location has successfully built over 3 million units of these three models altogether, and shortly after celebrated another milestone by reaching its 10th year of production in November 2019. Currently, the facility has a production capacity of 340,000 vehicles per year (largely dedicated to the Telluride and Sorento crossover SUVs) and is responsible for distributing them to hundreds of dealerships in the U.S. and Canada, as well as fulfilling shipments across North America and even overseas. In 2025, Kia America posted total sales of 852,155 units, its highest annual total and the first time it surpassed 800,000 units, up 7% from 2024 and marking a third consecutive annual sales record.

Kia Canada

Kia Canada was formed in 1999 as a subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation serving the Canadian market. It is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, where it employs approximately 180 people. Kia Canada is best known for its mid-market lineup of sport utility vehicles and crossovers, which are midway in size between SUVs and ordinary sedans, and increasingly for its electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. In 2021, Kia Canada introduced a new logo and slogan, "Movement that inspires". In 2025, Kia Canada set an annual sales record with 94,622 vehicles sold, up 9.2% from 2024.

Kia Central & South America Corp.

Kia Central & South America Corp. is an incorporated division of Kia Corporation in charge of sales and marketing in 43 countries across Central and South America (including Brazil), and the Caribbean. The regional headquarters is located in Miami, Florida (US).

Kia Europe

Kia Europe is the European sales and marketing division of Kia Corporation. It has been selling cars in Europe since the first half of 1991.

Kia Motors Europe is formally founded in 1995, in Neu Wulmstorf (near Hamburg). In 1997, Kia moves its European headquarters from Neu Wulmstorf to Bremen, and due to logistical reasons since around 2005, Kia moved its European headquarters to Eschborn (near Frankfurt).

In 2007, KME moved from its previous location at Hauptstrasse 185, Eschborn (near Frankfurt), to a new purpose-built facility adjacent to the Messe, in Frankfurt city centre.

When Kia launched in Europe during 1991, it initially sold only the Pride supermini – a rebadged version of the late 1980s Mazda 121. It initially proved popular with buyers. By the end of 1991, Kia had sold nearly 1,800 Prides in the United Kingdom. The first full year, 1992, saw that figure double, and, in 1993, it increased again to nearly 5,500 units. However, sales fell towards the end of the decade, and the end of production was finally announced in May 2000, with its successor – the Rio – not going on sale for another year.

From 1995 to 1999, Kia produced left- and right-hand drive versions of the first generation Sportage SUV at the Karmann factory in Osnabrück, Germany. These have been popular across Europe, but, since 2002, Kia has gained more sales in this market thanks to the launch of the larger Sorento. From 1999 until production of the model ceased in 2003, all Sportage production reverted to South Korea.

The European range also expanded in the spring of 1994 when Kia began importing the larger Mentor, a range of medium-sized hatchbacks and sedans which were marketed as inexpensive and well-equipped alternatives to the likes of the Ford Escort and the Vauxhall/Opel Astra.

A facelift in 1999 saw the Mentor name retained for the saloon (sedan), but the hatchback was renamed Shuma. These models remained on sale until 2004, when the newer Cerato was launched and gave Kia one of its first serious competitors against mainstream brands. The Clarus saloon and Sedona MPV were also launched onto the UK market during 1999, helping Kia begin its rise in popularity.

Kia Mexico

The company has built a $1 billion manufacturing plant in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León, which produces 300,000 cars a year. Details of the factory, built in the city of Pesquería, were revealed in a joint press conference given by Kia CEO Hyoung-Keun Lee and the President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City on August 28, 2014. The plant was expected to be completed in the first half of 2016. This factory is involved in controversies because it was built on unevenly purchased land, and the construction agreement was made with advantage conditions and out of the local dispositions to Kia.

Kia India

The company entered the Indian market in July 2019 with its 'Made for India' SUV- SP2 Concept now announced as the global mid-sized SUV Kia Seltos. N. Chandrababu Naidu is lauded to have signed an MOU for the government of Andhra Pradesh which came to be one of the biggest FDI's with a total investment of Rs.12,900 crore. The company has built a production facility on a Greenfield land in Anantpur district, Andhra Pradesh near Penukonda. The annual production capacity is 350,000 units.

In January 2018, Kia appointed Kookhyun Shim as the managing director and CEO of Kia Motors India. Shim led the automaker’s expansion in the Indian market and oversaw the construction of its first manufacturing facility in the country. Kia also announced an investment of US$1.1 billion in the facility and the development of its Indian operations. On 31 July 2020, Kia surpassed 100,000 vehicle sales in India, becoming the fastest automaker in the country to reach the milestone. Shim was succeeded by Tae-Jin Park in October 2021, and in January 2024 Gwanggu Lee was appointed as Kia India’s third managing director and CEO. In calendar year 2025, Kia India recorded wholesale sales of 280,286 units, up 15% from 245,000 units in 2024.

Lucky Motor Corporation

Lucky Motor Corporation (LMC) is an automobile assembler and distributor in Pakistan owned by the Yunus Brothers Group. Originally known as Kia Lucky Motors Pakistan, the company began selling cars in 2018 when it launched its All New Grand Carnival in Pakistan. In quarter 4 2019, Kia Lucky Motors Pakistan introduced two new locally manufactured products known as the Kia Sportage and Kia Picanto.

Kia Russia

Kia holds a 30% stake in the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus plant in St. Petersburg which is being sold in December 2023 following the problems associated with the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The contract includes a two year buy back clause. In 2022, the company's revenue amounted to 111 billion rubles.

Kia Defense

Kia Motors has specialized in the production of military vehicles with variants and other transportation equipment and by supplying them as a sole maker of military vehicles designated by the South Korean Government since 1976, when Kia Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (now known as Hyundai Wia) was established. Kia is currently designing a Kaiser Jeep M715-type vehicle named the KM450 for the South Korean Army on license from the U.S. Government. Kia is also the owner of the former ex-Asia Motors factory in Gwangju.

Models

Sales figures

In calendar year 2025, Kia set a global sales record of 3,135,803 vehicles.

Design emphasis

Beginning in 2006 Kia identified design as its "core future growth engine" – leading to the 2006 hiring of Peter Schreyer and to the 2005 hiring Tom Kearns as Chief Design Officer. Schreyer had previously worked at Audi (designing the Audi TT) and Volkswagen and had won the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany. Kearns had previously worked at Cadillac as Chief Design Officer and was responsible for influencing Cadillac's direction of hard angles and sharp lines within its design. Schreyer has since been central to a complete restyling of Kia's line-up, overseeing design activities at Kia's design centers in Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and the Namyang Design Center in South Korea.

With the Kee concept vehicle, shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007, Kia introduced a new corporate grille to create a recognizable 'face' for the brand. Known as the Tiger Nose, Schreyer indicated he wanted "a powerful visual signal, a seal, an identifier. The front of a car needs this recognition, this expression. A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive. Visibility is vital and that face should immediately allow you to identify a Kia even from a distance." Schreyer described how the Kia Tiger Nose came to be as he explained, "I was just working on the car and just thinking about different possibilities, and suddenly I found it." Commenting on the new signature grille in 2009: "From now on, we'll have it on all our cars". Kia has since featured the Tiger Nose on all of its vehicles, ranging from the compact Kia Soul, on to the new design of the Kia Optima, and to the larger SUV, the Kia Telluride. Kia cars won the Road & Travel Magazine International Car of the Year award in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Controversies

United States Environmental Protection Agency

In late 2012, Kia Motors was forced to admit error in inflating its United States Environmental Protection Agency mileage claims and had to reduce its fuel economy claims in the U.S. by about 3 percent across the board and to offer compensation to previous vehicle buyers.

Nuevo León plant

Since 2014, Kia Motors has been involved in controversies in Mexico due to alleged irregularities in the construction of one of its manufacturing plants, located in the municipality of Pesquería, Nuevo León. The construction of the plant was done in an irregularly purchased land agreement between Kia Motors Mexico and the State of Nuevo León, then headed by Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz, was signed with unfairly advantageous conditions, such as bigger tax incentives than those allowed by Mexican law (tax exemptions for 20 years when the standard is 5), extended to the Mexican providers of Kia.

A copy of the full agreement was published on Facebook by current Nuevo León governor, Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, as part of a prosecution case against Medina and he declared that the signed agreement with his predecessor would be cancelled. A new agreement was then reached with Rodriguez's administration in June 2016. Former governor Medina de la Cruz and 30 other officials of the former state administration were investigated by an anti-corruption prosecutor for alleged embezzlement, improper exercise of public functions and damage to Nuevo León State assets. Medina was then taken into custody on January 26, 2017, in relation to this case and others in which he is involved.

Kia Challenge

In 2022, a trend known as the Kia Challenge went viral on the social media platform TikTok. The TikTok challenge involves stealing certain models of Kia and Hyundai cars manufactured from 2010 to 2021. Certain Kia and Hyundai were reportedly manufactured without immobilizers making the vehicles easier to steal. Kia responded by offering a free software update to affected models which requires the vehicle to have a key in the ignition in order for it to start. They also distributed over 26,000 steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies to provide to owners of affected models. In February 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that the challenge had resulted in at least 14 crashes and eight deaths.

In May 2023, following a class action lawsuit, Kia and Hyundai agreed to pay $200 million settlement to consumers who suffered losses as a result of the security flaws. However, on August 16, 2023, a federal judge rejected the proposed settlement.

On 16 December 2025, Washington’s attorney general and 35 other state attorneys general announced a settlement requiring Hyundai and Kia to equip future U.S. vehicles with engine immobilizers and to offer free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to owners or lessees of eligible vehicles. The companies also agreed to provide up to $4.5 million in restitution to eligible consumers and pay $4.5 million to the states for investigation costs.

Data Collection and Privacy Concerns

Kia has faced criticism over its data collection practices, with consumer group CHOICE identifying Kia and parent company Hyundai as among the “worst offenders” for collecting and sharing voice recognition data with third parties without adequate customer protection. In 2025, the Texas Attorney General warned Kia America that it was violating state privacy law by allegedly selling sensitive driver information to data brokers like LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which often led to increased insurance premiums. Additionally, Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included report flagged Kia’s privacy policy for mentioning the potential collection of race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sex life, union membership, and political data. James Bell a spokesperson for Kia responded by saying “Kia does not and has never collected ‘sex life or sexual orientation’ information" that category was only included to comply with California law, and insisted such information is never collected.

Sponsorship

Kia Motors sponsors the following sports teams, events, venues, and athletes:

Venues

Kia Arena

Kia Center

Kia Forum

Kia Oval

Sports associations

League of Legends European Championship (LEC)

Liga ACB

National Basketball Association (NBA)

National Rugby League (NRL)

Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)

Sports events

Archery World Cup

Asian Games

Australian Open (tennis tournament)

Copa América

FIBA Asia Championship

FIFA World Cup

Kia Classic (LPGA)

Kia Lotos Race

Kia Super League (cricket)

Korea Speed Festival

Tennis Premier League (tennis tournament)

UEFA Europa League

Universiade

X Games

X Games Asia

Sports teams

A.C. Monza (Italian association football team)

AC Ajaccio (French football club, from 1999 to 2000)

Atlanta Falcons

Atlético Madrid (Spanish professional football club, from 2005 to 2011)

B-SAD (Portugal association football team)

Bengaluru FC (Indian professional Football Club, from 2018 to 2020)

Boston United FC (English Football Club)

Brisbane Broncos (National Rugby League)

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (National Rugby League)

Dplus KIA (South Korean professional esports organization)

England women's cricket team

FC Hansa Rostock (German association football team, from 1999 to 2002)

FC Steaua București (Romanian association football team)

Greater Western Sydney Giants (Australian Football League)

Kia Forte (Shakey's V-League)

Kia Picanto (Philippine Basketball Association)

Kia Speed Skating Academy

Kia Tigers (Korean Baseball Team in Gwangju, South Korea)

Athletes

Ryan Ford (MMA fighter)

Fernando González (Chilean tennis player – 2004 & 2008 Olympic medalist)

Badr Hari (Moroccan kickboxer)

LeBron James (Global brand ambassador)

Blake Griffin (NBA basketball player)

Lee Sang-hwa (Speed skater)

Yulia Lipnitskaya (Russian figure skater)

Aliya Mustafina and Viktoria Komova (both Russian artistic gymnasts)

Rafael Nadal (Global brand ambassador)

Manny Pacquiao (Filipino boxer)

Adelina Sotnikova (Russian figure skater)

Michelle Wie (Official golf ambassador & spokesperson – KMA)

Dylan Alcott (Australian tennis player)

Eric Keogh (Kia Race Series winner 2 years in a row)

Actors

Pierce Brosnan

Laurence Fishburne

Christopher Walken

Tiger Shroff

Musicians

Blackpink

Chase Bryant

Hyolyn

Matthew Koma

MisterWives

Weezer

Music events

Live at The chapel (Australian music concert)

Vans Warped Tour

YouTube Music Awards (2013)

Melon Music Awards (2019)

Charity events

We Can Be Heroes (joint-venture between Kia and DC Comics);

Entertainment

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest (2020–24)

Inside the NBA

Tobot

X-Men

Slogans

The Car That Cares (2000–2005)

The Power To Surprise (2005–2021)

Give It Everything (2019–2021, United States)

Movement that inspires (2021–present, Worldwide)