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Kia Motors, a subsidiary of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea's 2nd largest automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Its CEO is Chung Eui-sun. The American arm is Kia Motors America. On October 20, 2006, Kia Motors America formally hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its first US assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, at an initial cost of over $1 billion. Since 2005, Kia has started to focus on the European market and is currently the UK's fastest growing car company and had various other successes in the European market.



Morning/Picanto/Suria/EuroStar

The Kia Morning, known as the Kia Picanto in export markets (except in Chile, where it is badged with its original name and Taiwan where it is known as the Kia EuroStar), and the Naza Suria in Malaysia, is a low cost city car produced in South Korea by Kia Motors (internal model index SA)

The Morning/Picanto is based on a shortened platform of the Hyundai Getz. It is available with either 1.0 or 1.1 L petrol engines. A 3-cylinder diesel engine (based on the Kia Cerato's 1.5 CRD four-cylinder unit), with direct injection and a variable geometry turbocharger, has been available in the European market since Spring 2004, with power reaching 75 PS (55 kW). The Morning is 3495 mm long with a five-door hatchback body. Automatic gearboxes are optional in the petrol units.

To increase its appeal in the European market, the Morning/Picanto is equipped with such features as a MP3 enabled CD Player, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, remote central locking, and electric mirrors.

A locally assembled version of the Kia Picanto is sold in Malaysia under the Naza badge, as the Naza Suria.

The Picanto is due for a facelifted model to be introduced in Europe in late 2007.


Pride/Rio

The first generation was replaced in the 2005 model year in Europe, arriving in the 2006 model year in North America. The second-generation Rio is based on a redesigned platform shared with the Hyundai Accent (prior to this, the Hyundai Accent was not related to the Rio). The engine was upgraded to a 110 hp 1.6-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine now also shared with the Hyundai Accent. Other changes include a completely new design, an increase in exterior size and interior volume, an increased number of standard safety features, better fuel economy. The hatchback was renamed to Rio5 in the USA.

The 2006 sedan offers two trim levels, the base trim (with standard tachometer) and the LX trim (adding power steering, air conditioning, and a CD player). The Rio5 (USA) offers a single trim level, the SX trim, with the features of the LX trim plus some additional vanity elements, such as a leather-covered steering wheel that suggest that Kia wishes to move the Rio upmarket. Just as in the first generation, only the five-door hatchback version is offered in some European markets (including the UK).


Spectra/Cerato

The Kia Spectra, or Kia Cerato, is a compact car / small family car produced by the Korean automaker Kia Motors since 2000, originally sold only as a hatchback. When the car was redesigned in 2004-05, it later became Kia's top-selling vehicle in the United States, of which it remains as of today.


cee'd

The Kia cee'd is a small family car released in the European market by the Korean manufacturer Kia Motors in December 2006. It is available as a five-door hatchback, with a choice of up to five engines (three petrol and two diesel), four trim levels (S, GS, LS, SR) and either manual or automatic transmissions — and is sold in over 20 variants of the above in some markets. Kia used the Paris Motor Show 2006 to preview a five-door estate variant in production form, and a three-door concept, both of which will be on sale from Autumn 2007, combining with the five door hatchback model to give a model range of over 50 variants in some markets. The Hyundai i30 shares the platform with cee'd.


Lotze/Magentis/Optima

The Kia Magentis (known as Optima in the United States and China and the Lotze (hangul:기아 로체) in Kia's home market, South Korea) is a mid-size car built by Kia Motors for the United States and Australian markets since 2001, and in Europe since 2002. In Chile the first generation was known as Optima, and the latest as Magentis.

The Optima is produced for the Chinese market by the Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company, a joint venture with Kia.

The Magentis is considered a landmark car for Kia to reach into a new market of executive luxury cars, although so far sales have been slow.

One of the great advantages of the 2.7L V6 equipped Magentis is its potential for upgrades. Since the 2.7L V6 is the same (Delta) engine found in the Hyundai Tuscani Elisa (known as the Tiburon GT is the U.S.), it is compatible with all Tuscani Elisa engine upgrades with little or no modification to the engine-compartment layout.


Opirus/Amanti

The Kia Opirus (known as Amanti in North America) is a full-size car / executive car produced by Kia Motors of South Korea that was launched in April 2003. The Opirus/Amanti was Kia's first entry into the large-car market. It is sold in a single trim level and only as a sedan, and has an MSRP of US$ 6,875. It shares some components with its now-defunct corporate cousin, the Hyundai XG Grandeur, including its 3.5 L V6 engine.

For 2007, the Kia Opirus received various upgrades, including suspension and styling revisions, and the addition of the same engine as the current Hyundai Grandeur (Azera), this time being a 3.8L V6 engine.

The name Amanti is sometimes confused with Avanti, a sports coupe made by Studebaker in 1962 or Amati a proposed luxury car line from Mazda that was slated to appear in the fall of 1992.

It is also very clear, as it is the case with many Asian firms (i.e. Lexus in the past), that the cars closely resemble European majors. The Opirus front visually being a clone of the previous Mercedes-Benz E-Class model with a rear similar to the American third generation Lincoln Town Car.

Kia markets its Opirus to budget-conscious individuals who desire some premium features at a comparatively lesser price. As usual, Kia also attracts customers to its dealerships by offering a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty that has become synonymous with the major Korean car brands.


Sportage

After a 2-year hiatus, the 2004 Sportage returned, sharing its Elantra-based platform with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson. As part of the shift, the Kia Sorento now becomes Kia's compact off-road SUV, and the Sportage moves to become Kia's first crossover SUV. The Sportage will also have a 2.0 L I4 Diesel engine available in the United Kingdom. Pricing starts at just over US$16,000. Critics and fans of the original, pre-Hyundai Sportage complain that it is considerably larger than the original Sportage and has none of the earlier offroad capability, the two keys for its success. However, buyers of the second generation model are likely to favor the available 172 hp (128 kW) V6, with 178 pounds of torque (241 N·m). The ride is considerably more comfortable, quiet and fun. Overall fit/finish and quality is noticeably improved over the 1st generation model.


Mohave/Borrego

The Kia Borrego (a.k.a. Kia Mohave in South Korea) is an upcoming mid-size SUV to go on sale in North America in the late spring of 2008 as a 2009 model. It has been developed independently by Kia Motors and will be manufactured in Korea. Originally shown as a concept car under the Kia Mesa name at the 2005 North American International Auto Show, it is on sale in Korea. The production model, designed by leading automotive designer Peter Schreyer, has been introduced at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.  It has three rows of seats, as well as being offered with either the 3.0L VGT Diesel V6 (in 2010), second generation Lambda II 3.8L V6 or the recently developed 4.6L V8 Hyundai Tau engine. The Tau V8 will be tuned to give less power but more torque and will create 333 horsepower (248 kW). It will be available as an LX or EX model. The V8 will have a towing capacity of 7,500 lb (3,400 kg), and the V6 will be able to tow 5,000. It will have Kia's first navigation system, which will be available as an option. It will be a true off-roader with a Body-on-frame construction, available adjustable air-suspension, hill-descent control and a high and low-range gearbox. The EX model will come standard with a 600 watt Infinity six disc in-dash changer, with full mp3, iPod hook-ups. The Borrego's price will range from $26,535 for the base LX V6, $35,535 for fully loaded EX V8. Borrego has a class leading ground clearance of 8.2-8.7 inches, depending on the position of the adjustable air suspension. Borrego will get between 15-21 MPG for the V6, and 13-20 MPG for the V8.


Sorento

It has two transmission options: a 5-speed manual or 4/5-speed automatic transmission (pre-2005 models have a 4 speed automatic, whilst 2005 Sorentos come with a 5 speed tip-tronic style automatic transmission). Sorentos are equipped with a Hyundai-manufactured 3.5L 24-valve DOHC V6 producing 192 horsepower (143 kW) at 5500 rpm, and 217 lb·ft (294 N·m) of torque @ 3,000 rpm. The Sorento is very capable off-road, with an automatic four-wheel drive system featuring low range gearing. A sport package is available for the LX base model which adds a 5 speed manual transmission, fog lamps, alloy wheels, step bars, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a roof rack and remote keyless entry. All American Sorentos also come with dual front airbags and dual side-curtain airbags in the front and rear. The 4x4 system is a shift-on-the-fly nob located usually on the lower panel to the left of the steering column. Three modes available are Two-Wheel Drive, Four-High, and Four-Low. On-dash indicators show when the Four Wheel Drive System is active.

Common features of the Sorento family are 4 wheel disc brakes (standard on all models) Optional anti-lock braking system, and a 21.1-gallon fuel tank. Also standard is a battery saving feature which prevents wearing out the battery by leaving your headlights turned on (a shutoff engages when the key is removed from the ignition, even if the lights were left turned on). The chassis of the vehicle is also based on a ladder frame design which is more often used in building trucks. This lends a rigidity to the Sorento that other vehicles in its class lack, even at the same price point.The 2007 Sorento has received upgrades, such as the transition from the 3.5L Sigma to the 3.8L Lambda that will almost double the Sorento's towing ability and boost Horsepower from 192 to 262. As well projector beam low beams in the head lams, and new tail lamps. The 5 speed manual transmission is no longer available; the 5 speed Sportmatic® tip-tronic automatic transmission is standard for all trims. The 2007 Kia Sorento earned a five-star crash safety rating, the highest rating possible, for all seating positions in the latest frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (NHTSA)
This new model is actually a rebadged Hyundai Entourage which features Hyundai's LAMBDA engine. In autumn 2005 for the 2006 model year, Kia introduced a redesigned Sedona offering features such as a 60/40 fold flat seat, power sliding doors and liftgate, second row power windows, backup sensors, and a navigation system (in Korean models). The new Sedona has a 3.8 L V6 making 244 hp (182 kW).

The new Sedona went on sale in Australia in January 2006 as the Grand Carnival. It continues to be sold alongside the old model. The new model features a 3.8 L V6 engine, standard seating for 8, and a 5-speed automatic with manual shift mode. It is priced almost 25% higher than the existing Carnival, which continues with a 2.5 L V6. Sedona now boasts more room for seven and added cargo capacity.

Grand Carnival/Sedona LWB/Naza Ria

The Kia Carnival is a minivan produced by Kia Motors. It is known in the UK and North America as the Kia Sedona. It had a base price starting at around US$20,000, which was lower than most competing minivans, but now the smaller Kia Rondo has a lower price than most competing minivans. It is available in the United States with a 3.5 L DOHC V6 engine producing 195 hp (145 kW) SAE (145 kW), and many other countries with a 2.9 L DOHC turbodiesel, with 144 PS (142 hp SAE/106 kW). A 2.5 L V6 is available in some markets. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard for the smaller engines, with a 4-speed automatic transmission available as an optional. A 5-speed automatic is the only transmission in the American market. The Sedona was Kia's top-selling vehicle in the United States when it launched.

In the United States, it is available in a base short-wheel base model, a long-wheelbase mid-leve LX model and a top of the line long-wheelbase EX model.

The Sedona/Carnival is rebadged and sold as the Naza Ria in Malaysia. This allows the van to qualify for National Car incentives within Malaysia.

The Carnival is produced for the Chinese market by the Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company, a joint venture with Kia.

Carnival/Sedona SWB

The vehicle is offered in two wheelbases. Both short (7-seater) and long wheelbase (7- and 11-seater) models are available worldwide (sales of the SWB model in the US began in October 2006). Australia has yet to see the 11-seater model, and no information is available on when it will be released (June 2007). In South Korea, a high roof model (Grand Carnival Limousine) manufactured by Proto Motors is also available.

The American configuration earned a five-star safety rating — the highest honor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bestows — for all seating positions in frontal and side-impact crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also rates the Sedona “Good” — its highest rating — in front, side and rear impacts. The IIHS, in fact, has christened the 2006 Sedona a “Gold Top Safety Pick,” making the Sedona (and the similar Hyundai Entourage) the safest minivan ever tested.

The Kia Sedona (Carnival) has also picked up the 2007 MotorWeek “Best Minivan” award in its 2007 Drivers' Choice Awards, while both the Sorento and Sedona (Carnival), along with six other Kia models, picked up The Car Book 2007’s “Best Bet” distinction. Overall, Kia models improved 22%-in J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Initial Quality Study (IQS), and-improved twice as much as any competitor in the last 3 years, showing how the company continues to offer world-class quality and award-winning customer satisfaction.


Carens/Rondo

The Kia Carens is a compact MPV lauched in 1999 by the Korean manufacturer Kia. It was discontinued in Australia in 2001, but production continues for a new model which was launched in 2003. In 2006 a new Carens has been presented as a 2007 model year. The Carens/Rondo is slotted below the Kia Carnival/Sedona in Kia's minivan lineup.