If this were in the early 2000s, it would be very hard to find someone who would love the Kia cars. Fast forward to today, it’s easier to see so many who own Kia cars in Nigeria and many others interested in purchasing one.
What happened between now and then? How did Kia get so popular? In this article, this is what we will be discussing. Keep reading below to find out how Kia cars are becoming popular on Nigerian roads.
The History of Kia Cars
While everyone is familiar with Kia Motors nowadays, the brand actually started out in a completely different industry. It was founded in 1944, and Kia started life as the “Kyungsung Precision Industry,” which primarily focused on manufacturing bicycle parts and steel tubing, which led the company to make South Korea’s first bicycle, the “Samchully.”
However, the company soon rebranded itself with the name Kia, which means “rising out of Asia,” and started to build cars in the 60s and 70s in partnership with Mazda and Fiat, only to finally begin building its own cars in the early 90s when it partnered with Ford.
Kia Motors America was founded in 1992 when the brand kicked off production by introducing some of its lineups like the Sephia and the Sportage into the competitive car market. In 1998, Kia was faced with bankruptcy due to the Asian financial crisis and it didn’t have the initial success that it hoped for. Fortunately, it was inevitably acquired by Hyundai, which initially took over 51% of the brand, but it currently owns 33% of the company.
How Things Turned Around for Kia
Since Kia was acquired by Hyundai, a lot of its cars in the early 2000s were merely rebadged versions of the parent company’s models. For example, the Kia Optima, which debuted in 2000 was a rebadged Hyundai Sonata up until 2009.
Kia still managed to expand its brand globally by opening up manufacturing plants in countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Slovakia, and China in 2001, as well as its main plant in Georgia.
The big turnaround happened around 2010 when ex-Audi designer, Peter Schreyer, was hired as the Chief Designer at Kia. Under his design supervision, Kia churned out a revised version of its Optima, which now sported a “tiger nose” design complete with futuristic body lines, as well as the much-loved Kia Soul, which was a surprisingly massive hit for the brand.
With a new direction that set the brand far apart from its parent company, Kia was set on not only being different but also “focusing on quality over quantity.”
The Future of the Kia Brand
After taking a look back at Kia’s history, it can be said that the brand has come a long way over the years. Models like the Telluride have increased sales and its sedans are competing favourably with competitors. It looks like the brand’s efforts in reinventing and realigning itself by focusing on quality are paying off in dividends and will likely continue to do so for years to come.
Conclusion
The redesign of several Kia models improved its perception even in the Nigerian market, as the car brand is gradually becoming a vehicle of interest for many young Nigerian first-time car owners. Why? Not only do modern-day Kia cars come with luxury features, but they are also more affordable compared to competitor models.
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