Category : Korean

Kia Motors Corporation, part of Hyundai-Kia automotive Group, is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Founded in May 1944, Kia has an amazing history that makes it the world’s fifth largest vehicle manufacturer. Today, Kia produces more than 1.4 million vehicles a year. Kia has a network of more than 3,000 distributors and dealers that sell its vehicles in 172 countries and an annual revenue of more than US$17 billion. Kia’s production plans follow a certain set of rules, based on great designs and accessibility. The main aim of the company is to build automobiles that satisfy customers’ needs. That’s why some of its models are extremely accessible (Kia Rio LX sedan – $14,700). To keep in touch with ongoing trends in the automotive industry, Kia decided to invest in new headquarters in Europe and USA. Kia’s collection include cars (Picanto, Picanto LPGi, Rio 4-door, Rio 5-door, Cerato/Forte, Cerato/ Forte 5-door, Cerato KOUP, cee’d, cee’d GT, cee’d Sportswagon, pro_cee’d, pro

Hyundai was founded in 1946 in Seoul, Korea. It is definitely the most popular brand of all Korean-made cars. The name can be translated into “Modern era”, which explains the company’s passion for progress and innovation. At that moment, Hyundai Group led the market by building electronics, oil rigs and massive infrastructure projects. The Hyundai Motor Company was founded in 1967. When it comes to production, this Korean car company boasts on an annual capacity of one million and a half cars. In 2013, the company won the distinction of 4th largest car manufacturing company in the world, dethroning giants Nissan, Honda and even Ford. Now Hyundai is part of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. One of their main goals remains being innovative and of high quality, so that people can drive affordable vehicles that last.

Daewoo was founded in 1937 in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea. The company suffered a few changes over the years: it changed its name to Saenara Motor in 1962; in 1965 it was bought by Shinjin Industrial; later on, it worked with Toyota and it was renamed Shinjin Motor. By starting a collaboration with General Motors, the company gained control and it expanded throughout the whole world. The company’s production copied General Motor’s designs, but only until 1996, when the Asian crisis started and financial problems appeared. In 2001, GM decided to buy Daewoo Motor, which became part of their group.

One of South Korea’s largest automobile manufacturers, SsangYong dates back to the second half of the twentieth century. In its early beginnings, the company was mainly into building jeeps, trucks and buses which were eventually shipped to the USA. Nowadays, the model palette only includes SUVs and luxury cars: the Rexton, the Korando, the Kyron and the Actyon.

Renault Samsung Motors is a South Korean automobile company headquartered in Busan. It was founded in 1994 as Samsung Motors and it began selling cars in 1998, just before the Asian financial crisis. In 2002, the company was renamed Renault Samsung Motors and right after that, it began to gain trust and achieve impressive results. The SM5 model was the first manufactured automobile that proved to be a success. It was followed by other vehicles, including the SM3 in 2002, the SM7 in 2004 and the crossover QM5 in 2007.

Pyeonghwa Motors, known as ‘Peace Motors’ in Korea, is a joint venture between the Ryonbong General Corp and Pyonghwa Motors in Seoul. The company operates under the license of Brilliance China Auto and Fiat and specializes in manufacturing small and compact cars, SUVs and reliable pickup trucks. The company also has exclusive rights to purchase, sell, and produce cars in North Korea and has the capacity of producing almost 10,000 vehicles per years. However, since the North Korean market for cars is small, the output of Pyeonghwa Motors is limited to 300 or 400 vehicles per years. Nevertheless, the company plays an important role in the automotive industry of South and North Korea and has the potential to expand its operations into foreign countries.