About

For nearly half a century Kia has been engaged in the manufacture of quality vehicles, responding to the transportation needs of customers. Kia has undergone periods of severe hardship over the years, but it never surrendered in the face of difficulty. Indeed, the greater the challenge, the greater the effort and determination Kia showed.

During the past 48 years, Kia has devoted itself to the production of a diverse range of vehicles, beginning with bicycles and motorcycles and advancing to trucks and cars. Kia became the first automaker in Korea to develop a gasoline engine and introduce a passenger car with a Korean-built engine, the Brisa.

These illustrate Kia's continuous commitment to technical progress. With this dedication, Kia has helped transform Korea from an underdeveloped industrial economy into the world's newest and most promising automotive heartland. From trucks and buses to the widely popular Pride, Capital. Concord and intermediate class car Potentia, Kia has been supplying the right products for the times and meeting specific consumer needs.

An important milestone was reached in 1990 with the opening of the Asan Bay Plant, which will bring our total annual capacity to one million units.

As Kia moves forward with innovative new products, it is taking aim to rank among the world's leading auto makers in the 21st century. In the days ahead, Kia will contribute to creating an auto culture with more convenient, safer and environmentally benign cars, which will make life more convenient for everyone. Thank you.

1971	Kia Service Corp. established.
	4 wheel cargo truck (Titan, Boxer) produced.
1973	Production of gasoline engine started for the first time in Korea.
1974	Brisa, a compact passenger car produced for the first time in Korea.
1975	Export of B-1000 (Brisa pick-up) started.
1976	Production of K-303 passenger car started.
	Kia Machine Tool Co., Ltd. established.
	Asia Motors Co., taken over.
1978	A domestic diesel engine developed.
1979	Peugeot 604 sedan produced.
	Assembly of Fiat 132 sedan began.

1980	1-ton Bongo truck produced.
1981	Bongo Coach, a small-size bus produced.
	Ceres, multipurpose farm truck developed.
1984	Kia R & D center completed.
1985	"Tower Prize for the Promotion of Precision Industry" awarded for three straight years.
1986	Besta, small-size bus, produced.
	Kia basketball team organized.
	Kia Steel Co., Ltd. taken over.
	Equity partnership with Ford of the USA. Production of Pride(Festiva)started.
1987	2,000cc Concord, mid-size passenger car built. Development of EGi engine completed.
1988	Rhino and Trade cargo trucks are introduced.
	Cumulative production of one million units achieved. First short stroke engine developed.
1989	Capital, mid-size passenger car, is launched.
	Kia Tokyo Research Center is opened.
	Kia Economic Research Institute established.

1990	Name is changed to Kia Motors Corp.
	Construction of Asan Bay plant completed Korea's first 1.5 DOHC engine developed.
1991	Methanol car developed
1992	Kia Japan Co. established.
	Potentia, luxury sedan, introduced.
	Sephia, compact sedan, launched. JS diesel engine developed.
	Kia Motors America Inc. established.
1993	Sephia introduced to European market
	Production of Sportage, sports utility vehicle begun.
	Cumulative production passed the 3 million mark. Production of the Aspire, a compact passenger car, begun.
	Asan Bay general proving ground completed.
1994	Production of Avella(Aspire) started.
	Kia Auto Finance established.
	Signed an agreement with Karmann GmbH for the assembly of the Sportage in Germany.
	50 years of Kia Motors celebrate.
	MOST, Motor Systems & Technology CO.Ltd, a joint venture with Bosch, founded.
1995	Kia Motors Europe GmbH established. Cumulative exports passed the 1million mark.
	Production of Credos(Clarus), mid sized sedan started. R&D Center completed
	Avella Delata, compact sedan produced.
	Production of small sized bus, started.
1996	Sportage Grand, Long Body SUV, produced. Pride Wagon, compact sized wagon, produced.
	Kia was chosen as the joint partner of Indonesia’s National Car Development
	Elan, Sports roadster, produced. Timor, Indonesia’s National Car developed by Kia, launched in local market
	High tech automatic gearbox developed.
1997	Enterprise luxury sedan launched.
1998	Cumulative exports of 2,000,000 in numbers (since 1975).
	Hyundai Motor won Kia/Asia Motors auction.
	Kia and Hyundai finalized Takeover.
1999	Made a declaration of “Kia New Start 2000” Production of “Carens” (Mini MPV) and “ Joice”(MPV) started.
	Elected Chung, Mong-Koo as the chairman of a board of directors.
	Opened “Yes 2 Kia World Festival” (Promotional Event for more than 70 nations)
	“Rio” compact sized car manufactured.

2000	Attached the termination of court-receivership.
	Concluded being under court-receivership in 22months.
	Manufactured “Spectra” semi-medium sedan.
	Entered into a strategic tie-up with Hyundai and Daimler Chrysler.
	Millennium Sedan “Optima/Magentis” launched. Completed a wharf in Pyungteak for the exclusive use of automobile.
	The Korean Fair Trade Commission acknowledged the separation of 10 affiliated companies of Kia/Hyundai automobile group.
	Manufactured “Spectra Wing”
	Moved into a new building of the company in Yangjae-Dong.
2001	Kia Sportage took the 6th place in the diesel-engine modified production vehicle category (T 3.3) in the 2001 Paris- Dakar Rally.
	Chairman Chung Mong-Koo received the Automotive Hall of Fame's Distinguished Service Citation.
	An honorary president Chung Ju-yung, the founder of the Hyundai Group, passed away.

Sohari Plant: A Pivot for the Auto Industry's Growth Sohari has an annual production capacity of 350,000 units and has played an important role in supplying the public with practical and more economical means of passenger, vans and cargo transportation. Despite its relatively short history, the plant serves as one of the main pivots in the growth and development of the Korean auto industry, and has come to be known as the Mecca of the Korean auto industry.

Asan Bay Plant, a New Era in Hi-Tech Manufacturing Asan Bay Plant will have an annual production capacity of 600,000 units when completed and is being equipped with the latest facilities, including automated manufacturing processes and a comprehensive proving ground. The plant is being developed to realize high productivity, high quality and high efficiency.