A brief article covering the history of Kia Motors
 A short history of Kia Motors.
An article covering the history of the Kia motor company.
Kia was established in 1944 as a firm that was used to manufacture steel tubing and bicycle parts by hand, during this time the company was operating under the name of Hyungsung Precision Industry.The company started to produce vehicles such as the Peugeot 604 and Fiat 132 Sedan in 1973 and then went on the have success in the commercial motorcar market. From 1986 onwards, Kia worked closely with Ford to create the Avella and Pride models and then shortly after this they developed the Sportage and Sephia models.
Around this time period Kia also opened its first integrated automotive assembly plant and then during its partnership with Ford the company produced several Mazda models, including the Pride which was based on the Mazda 121. During the 80s, the company began establishing a firm place in the Western market. However, in 1997 the company faced bankruptcy during the Asian financial crisis and was forced to sell a 49 per cent share of its holdings to the Hyundai Motor Company. The company had regained its financial composure by 1999 and it produced its ten millionth car three short years later in 2002.
Kia then went on to produce several critically acclaimed vehicles in a varied range of fields, these included the Forte Koup, Spectra5, Optima, Sedona and Rio. Recently the company released the Kia Mohave which is a sports utility vehicle that has adjustable air-suspension, hill-descent control and a high and low range gearbox. There is also  an alternative full cell fuel concept version that was first exhibited at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. This green version of the SUV has a lithium-ion polymer battery and a 4th generation Hyundai-Kia fuel cell.
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