KIA MOTORS
Kia Motors Corporation was commenced in 1944 and is one of the oldest manufacturers of motor vehicles in Korea.
TRIUMPH OF CELEBRATION
Initially, Kia was making motorcycles and bicycles, now it produces over three million vehicles in a year from the 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in 5 countries. These vehicles are serviced and sold through a network of dealers and distributors extending 180 countries worldwide.
BRAND QUOTIENT
Kia operates the three main vehicle assembly plants at Sohari, Hwasung, Gwangju, as well as the world-class research and development center having almost 12,000 vehicle development engineers and staff at Namyang.
CUTTING EDGE
Kia also operates a global network of manufacturing bases outside the Korea, with an advanced production facilities in the Slovakia, USA, Mexico and China. It has a global production capacity of 3.5 million cars per year.
TRAILBLAZING
Kia’s Eco-Technology Research Institute in Seoul is functioning on the next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains. It spends almost 6% of its annual revenues on Research & Development, and also operates the research centers in the Japan, Germany and USA. In 2016, the company opened its latest new production facility in Pesquería representing a US$1 billion investment by the company.
BRAND COMMITMENT
Kia has a vast history of building in a number of markets locally to meet the specific requirements of local customers, with the assembly operation using ‘car kits’ in, Iran, Ecuador, Malaysia, Uruguay, Russia and Vietnam.
BRAND FACT
• Kia has over 50,000 employees and annual revenues of nearly US$44 billion.
• Kia spends around 6% of its annual revenues on R&D, and also operates research centers in the USA, Japan and Germany.
MASTER STROKE
• In 1993, Kia manufactured its three millionth vehicles – in 2016 alone, it produced and sold over three million cars.
• Kia’s Eco-Technology Research Institute near Seoul is working on next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains.