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Home > Browse Cars > Kia

Browse Kia Cars

2008 Kia Optima

The Kia name comes from a beautiful concept. Based on the combination of Sino-Korean words “ki” and “a”, the name means “Rising out of Asia”, an indication of the company’s path to the global market. The oldest carmaker in Korea, Kia had its beginnings in 1944 manufacturing bicycles. In the ‘50s, Kia expanded its business to include motorcycles, trucks, and cars in its production. Come the ‘80s, the company went into partnership with Ford to produce Mazda-derived vehicles. The Kia brand broke into the American market in the ‘90s and has continued to expand its line since. However, the company suffered great losses during the Asian financial crisis and was acquired by its rival, Hyundai, in 1998. Notwithstanding transfer of ownership, Kia continues to uphold its reputation for affordability and safety.

Major Kia Milestones:

1995 – The Kia Sportage won in its category in the Baja 1000. It was the same Sportage that ran and finished in the 1993 Paris-Dakar rally, thus becoming the first vehicle to finish both courses.

1996 – The Kia Sportage came out with a knee airbag. It was the first vehicle to do so.

2006 – The Kia Sedona earned a five-star crash rating from NHTSA and became the first minivan to earn the “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which called it “the best minivan we’ve ever tested.”

Interesting Kia Fact:

Kia Motors has been manufacturing military vehicles for the South Korean government for more than twenty years, making it a specialist in defense-related transportation technology. It is currently designing the KM450, a vehicle similar to the Kaiser Jeep M715, on license from the US government.