Although
Kia is a Korean automaker, the company's name is said to derive from the Chinese
language. Roughly translated, it means, "to arise from Asia."
And
what a meteoric rise it's been. It has taken only 10 years for Kia to sell one
million vehicles in the U.S. That's faster than Toyota, Mazda, BMW or Mercedes.
The secret to their success lies in offering inexpensive competitors for better
known - and some would say better-built - Japanese vehicles.
In
fact, up until the mid-'90s, South Korean vehicles like Kia and Hyundai were basically
cheap knock-offs of Japanese models. These disposable cars would more or less
self-destruct after their first few years. Anyone who ever owned a Pony or Stellar
can attest to that.
However,
Hyundai has improved considerably and reliability concerns are largely a thing
of the past. And now that Kia has been pulled back from the brink of bankruptcy
by a Hyundai takeover, similar improvements can be expected throughout its product
line as well. And with an industry leading 10-year / 100,000 mile warranty, many
people are finding these low-cost imports irresistible. |