Kia - From Rags to Riches

The Sportage is one of the more successful cars in the burgeoning medium sized SUV class

When I was younger, the parents of a friend of mine owned a white 3 door Kia Pride LX from the early 90's. It was a basic but dependable little thing. Ultimately just a re-badged Mazda 121, Kia did a deal with Mazda to produce the car under license in South Korea. The Pride was dated when Kia started selling it - Mazda ended production of the 121 in 1991 when Kia launched the car in the UK. Despite its optimistic name, the Pride created a solid foundation for Kia in Europe lasting until 2000, despite its budget underpinnings and whitewall tyres.
The reason for this post is to acknowledge how far Kia have come. Now it's the South Korean brand who are giving the likes of Ford, Vauxhall/Opel and Peugeot/Citroen sleepless nights. I think the transformation is staggering although to some extent understandable - South Korea and Asia as a whole have grown tremendously over the last number of decades with a high-tech outlook. Just look at the city of Seoul and you can see what I mean - a buzzing metropolis.

The Niro combines a petrol-electric drivetrain with the popular crossover bodystyle. Inoffensive to the eyes...unlike its Prius rival

The turning point for Kia came in 1998 when fellow South Korean car giant Hyundai bought the group. To be honest, both produced similar cars up to this point - their models were always cheap, basic and tended to trade heavily on discounts. Kia produced cars such as the utilitarian first generation Sportage 4x4, Mentor and Shuma hatchbacks whilst Hyundai screwed together rather shameful offerings. Pony, Accent or Atos anyone?
There was the odd surprise. How about the Kia Elan? Kia bought the rights from Lotus and started making the sportscar in 1996. It's certainly not the first badge you expect to see on the bonnet of a two-seater sports car that's for sure...

The Picanto city car is a stylish little thing and does exactly what it says on the tin

Ever since this merger, Kia and Hyundai have shared platforms, engines and running gear and both brand's products are a world away from their rudimentary beginnings. In terms of the group's market positioning, Hyundai see themselves as becoming semi-premium, (a bit like Volkswagen) whereas Kia have attempted to appear more youthful with models that feature a dynamic-led form of design. (The group will shortly start their journey into the premium sector with Genesis).
Anyway, I digress...Whichever way you look at it, Kia models today are 100 times more rounded than they were in years gone by. Design, engineering and driving dynamics are now at a level where they are on a par with what were historically the more traditional mainstream European offerings.
Twenty years ago, one would never have used the word 'stylish' to describe a Kia. Thanks to ex-Audi TT designer Peter Schreyer, the look of more recent models, particularly from the Mk3 Sportage onwards have upped the manufacturer's game in the fashion stakes. Schreyer's 'tiger mouth' front end styling has given Kia a distinctive corporate identity. Interior quality and fit and finish is also at a competitively high standard.

The Kia GT concept shown at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show gives a glimpse of a new halo GT model due in the next couple of years

Kia have also heavily invested in Europe with R&D, design and manufacturing sites all present on the continent. The continuation of ever more competitive products along with the draw of Kia's impressive 7 year warranty can only mean one thing - continued growth.
It'll be just as fascinating seeing where Kia goes from here. Share your views... What are your thoughts on Kia's past, present and future?...