Kia Motors is a South Korean company manufacturing automobiles. The Hyundai Motor Company is the largest shareholder in Kia Motors with 33% of the shares while the rest of the shares are held by others corporations and individuals. Kia Motors manufactures more than 1.4 million vehicles annually and is the fifth largest manufacturer of motor vehicles in the world.
History
Kia was founded in the year 1944 and is the oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles in Korea. Initially, this company manufactured steel tubing, bicycles and bicycle parts. Later, Kia started manufacturing Honda-licensed motorcycle and Mazda-licensed trucks. The first integrated automotive assembly plant of this company was set up in 1973 and the first cars rolled out in the year 1974.
Following bankruptcy in 1997, Kia entered into a deal with Hyundai Motor Company under which Hyundai acquired 51% stakes of Kia Motors. Subsequent disinvestments have brought this figure to 33%. Kia Motors also holds ownerships of 22 subsidiaries of Hyundai Motor Company.
Manufacturing facilities
Kia operates three vehicle manufacturing facilities in South Korea with one each located at Sohari, Hwasung and Kwangju. It also has a state-of-the-art research and development centre at Namyang in South Korea. The company’s eco technology research centre near Seoul is engaged in researching on fuel cell technology and advanced vehicle recycling processes.
Apart from South Korea, Kia Motors has manufacturing facilities in Georgia in United States and Zilna in Slovakia. The Zilna facility fulfils 54% of the demand for Kia products in the European market. There are many other assembly and manufacturing plants of this company located in 8 countries.
Product range
Kia Motors manufactures many kinds of cars such as sedans, luxury cars, electronic cars and sports cars . Some of the models include Kia Seltos, Kia Carens, Kia Sonet, Kia EV6, Kia Sportage and Kia Carnival.
The vehicles are sold through a network of over 3000 distributors present in 172 countries.
Revenues generated
In the fiscal year 2022, Kia Motors earned 86.6 trillion Korean won which is about USD 65.73 billion. The company’s revenues stood at 29.26 trillion Korean won in the year 2009. This is a sharp increase during the 2009-22 period.
Highlights of KIA company details
Kia company is from which country | South Korea |
Established year | 1944 |
Kia company owner | Hyundai Motor Group |
Kia company headquarters | Seoul, South Korea |
Products of kia | Sedans, SUVs, luxury cars, etc. |
Kia company founders | Kim Cheol Ho |
Parent company of kia | Hyundai Motor Group |
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Anantha Nageswaran is the chief editor and writer at TheBusinessBlaze.com. He specialises in business, finance, insurance, loan investment topics. With a strong background in business-finance and a passion for demystifying complex concepts, Anantha brings a unique perspective to his writing.