Kia – changing the face of the industry
If there’s a car manufacturer that’s made more of an impression on the European market than any other over the last decade, it’s Kia. The South Korean manufacturer has released models in every possible car category, always ensuring great prices and outstanding quality.
What’s its secret then? How come Kia can make cars that have the same superb performance as competitors, but at prices its rivals could only dream of? Well, first off, it hasn’t been an easy ride. Kia started building bicycles in the 1940s, only making the enormous transition to the car industry in the 1970s.
Then, after years of rapid growth, the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s threatened to put an end to the company forever. Looking at the firm today, you’d never have guessed that only 15 years ago it had declared bankruptcy and was majority-owned by Hyundai, the Japanese company that still has a large stake in the new Kia and which was integral in giving it the freedom to develop into the manufacturer it is today.
Nowadays, you only have to take one look at new Kia designs to realise the good value for money this brand can offer. Great Kia deals are everywhere; the
Picanto, for example, was Britain’s cheapest car at one point – a fact that Auto Express said was astonishing given its superb design and ride.
Elsewhere, the
Rio has been described as one of the very best superminis on the market, while the
Seronda has been desribed as a full-sized people carrier with handling that belies its size. There’s little doubt that Kia has targeted as wide a spectrum as possible in its diverse range of models, but its trick has been to never sacrifice the quality of design, however low the price tag most Kia deals involve.
And if you thought that Kia was only concerned with profits and nothing else, think again. Its latest ad campaign for the
new Kia Soul features three hamsters driving through a post apocalyptic landscape that turns into a futuristic rave. Completely mental – then again, the company can afford to have a bit of fun these days.