Kia Motors is the second largest automobile manufacturer in South Korea. It is headquartered in Seoul and trails only Hyundai in the number of vehicles sold per year by a Korean firm. The company is partially owned by Hyundai and together they form the 4th largest car company in the world. The company’s name, Kia, is derived from Korean words which mean “to arise to the world from Asia”.
Kia is Korea’s oldest car manufacturer. It was founded in 1944 and began as a producer of steel tubing and bicycle parts. In 1951, Kia started making complete bicycles and then added motorcycles (1957), trucks (1962), and cars (1974) to their inventory of vehicles. Kia went into partnership with the American auto manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, in 1986 and produced several Mazda vehicles for sales in both South Korea and other countries.
Kia entered the U.S. market in 1992. Starting with four dealerships in Portland, Oregon, Kia sales and service centers quickly spread across the country. In 1994, Kia dealers were selling the Sephia model and a few years later the company introduced the Sportage. During the height of the Asian financial crisis, Kia was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1997. In 1998, Hyundai Motors outbid Ford to take a controlling interest in Kia Motors. Today it owns a little less than 50% of the company.
Kia has continued to show sales growth each year. The brand is popular with American consumers due to its excellent warranties and great fuel efficiency. The Kia Forte, a compact, was the first Kia model to push through the American market and emerge as Kia’s bestselling car. The 2012 lineup of Kia vehicles includes 3 versions of the Kia Forte, the Kia Optima and the Optima Hybrid, 2 Kia Rio models, the Kia Sedona, the Kia Sorento, the Kia Soul and the Kia Sportage.
Whenever you are looking for car insurance, it makes good sense to shop around and compare quotes from different companies. Most insurance companies use different information to calculate the cost of an annual premium. While the make and model of a vehicle does play a part in this determination, other factors are weighed such as your age, where you live, and your personal driving record. You can help to keep down the cost of your auto insurance by driving carefully, taking advantage of available discounts, and maintaining a good credit history/score. Kia automobiles are generally considered reasonably priced vehicles so purchasing insurance coverage should not be too expensive.
KIA theft risks and crash results
The National Insurance Crime Bureau did not list any Kia models in the top 100 of the most commonly stolen vehicles. This fact can sometimes help lower your insurance premiums so it should be mentioned when writing up your insurance policy.
Crash Test Results for Kia
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named its Top Safety Picks for 2012 and Kia had the following models included:
- Small cars: Kia Forte (only sedan models), Kia Soul
- Midsize cars: Kia Optima
- Small SUVs: Kia Sportage
- Midsize SUVs: Kia Sorento
All cars were judged and awarded good performance ratings in all of these categories: front, side, rollover and rear crash tests and standard electronic stability control.
KIA insurance
Remember that insurance rates generally vary depending on the make and model of your car. The following quotes can help you get an idea of what you might pay for an annual premium, but they do not factor in your personal driving history or where you live, both of which can significantly affect your cost. Use them simply as a guideline when budgeting for your personal car ownership expenses.
he average cost of insuring a Kia vehicle is around $1385. You can expect to pay around $1225 a year to insure a Kia Sorento while the Kia Sedona runs about $1230. The Kia Rio will generally cost around $1425 for an annual premium.