Kia is one of the most popular automotive brands in Brunswick and beyond for its sporty, fuel-efficient, and affordable lineup of sedans, SUVs, hybrids, EVs, and hatchbacks. So, who owns Kia, and where is Kia made? Learn more about the fascinating history of this award-winning automotive company, then check out our inventory of new and pre-owned Kia models at Ken Ganley Kia in Medina.
Before we dive into who owns Kia, let’s start with a brief timeline of the company’s beginnings:
Now that you have an overview of the backstory, let’s dive into who owns Kia Motors. Kia Motor Company declared bankruptcy due to the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. However, the company was saved in 1998 after reaching an agreement with Hyundai Motor Company that resulted in Hyundai acquiring 51% of Kia Motors and selling a number of its subsidiaries to Kia.
Today, Hyundai is considered a parent company of Kia Motors, owning a little over one third of Kia with Kia retaining ownership of more than 20 Hyundai subsidiaries. While Kia and Hyundai operate independently of each other, their vehicles share a lot of the same platforms, powertrains, parts, and engineering.
Where is Kia made? Kia Motor Company’s original production plant was built in 1973 and is located outside of Seoul, South Korea. However, the company also has three other locations in South Korea, as well as production plants in China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Slovakia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and the United States. This comes out to a total of 14 production plants in eight different countries, as well as four design and research centers across four countries.
Now that you have your answers to the questions, “Who does Kia belong to?” and “Where is Kia made?”, are you ready to see what the latest lineup of vehicles has to offer? Ken Ganley Kia will be happy to show you! Contact us today to set up a test drive! We’re conveniently located near Montrose and Strongsville.
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