Kia Motors shares much of its history with its owner, Hyundai. Both manufacturers struggled with a lack of quality on their American debut. Kia was founded in 1944 in Korea as a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycles. As the company grew, they began producing automobiles. They would later enter a partnership with Ford, manufacturing components for Mazda.
Kia suffered from a low quality brand image and declared bankruptcy in 1997. Both Hyundai and Ford were among the bidders for the Korean automaker, and Hyundai would eventually win out. Kia has since seen a revitalization not unlike Hyundai’s own. They now offer the same 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty and have topped the sub-compact initial quality surveys for two years running. Kia sales will likely continue to increase as fuel prices go up and consumers look toward small vehicles for greater fuel efficiency.
Sites worth visiting
Kia
The official Kia homepage is a testament to the continued success of the Kia brand. The page celebrates the critical acclaim for the brand and offers all of the shopping tools you would expect. Be sure to check out the future concepts for a look at Kia’s expanding compact line.
Kia at Wikipedia
The Kia page at Wikipedia shows only a very brief history of the brand, and instead focuses on the burgeoning European market. The page includes pictures of current models and a look at up and coming concepts.
Around the Blogosphere
Kia at Autoblog
As the world continues to look for smaller, smarter vehicles, you can be sure Autoblog will keep an eye on Kia. These guys are always up to date with the latest pics, videos and headline news about one of the fastest growing carmakers in the US.
Kia-World
This blog covers all the Kia action around the globe. They typically post several times throughout the day, providing the Kia specific coverage the other blogs just might miss.
Kia Buzz
The official Kia blog will certainly be long on praise, but also on inside news. The blog is written by employees from all over the company, including some upper management. This is the place to get up close and personal with your favorite Korean automaker.
Community Sites
Kia Forums
Kia Forums is probably the most active Kia forum on the web. They have more than 25,000 members and all of the model specific forums you would expect from your top fan site. The page includes a member gallery where you can show off your wheels in style.
Picanto Club
The Kia Picanto is one of the most popular models in the European market. As the brand continues to gain market share, you can bet this site will continue to grow. They’ve already got a highly active base of several thousand members and they always welcome more.
Recent News
Tribute to ‘Flashdance’ in Kia’s Latest Marketing
If you haven’t seen Kia’s latest commercial, you need to. Seriously, who doesn’t want to see a middle-aged, middleweight, sweaty guy dancing all over a car dealership and having buckets of water dumped on him. This is classic advertising.
SEMA Shows Kia’s Efforts
No one expected Kia to turn around over night. Some people didn’t expect Kia to turn around at all. The company has managed it, though, and they’re looking quite good in the process. At SEMA this year, they showed us the Spectra5 SX – a car with the tuner market in mind and a student’s budget at heart.
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