Kia is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer that produces cars, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. It was founded in 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry, which made steel tubing and bicycle parts, and later shifted its focus to vehicles. Today, Kia is part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group and is the worlds fifth-largest vehicle manufacturer, producing more than 1.4 million vehicles a year at 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries. Kia vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of more than 3,000 distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. The company has more than 40,000 employees and annual revenues of more than US$17 billion. Some key facts about Kia include:
- Kia is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, after its parent company, Hyundai.
- Kia operates three major vehicle assembly plants in South Korea, plus a world-class research and development center employing 8,000 technicians at Namyang and a dedicated environmental R&D center.
- Kia sells gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles, and in 2020, the company said it would shift away from gas-powered vehicles with a strategy that transitions the company to an electric vehicle-focused brand.
- Among Kia's award-winning cars is the Telluride, which is the highest-rated 3-row midsize SUV of 2023 and a Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winner.
