Where is Kia Rio assembled: model description

Kia Rio cars were presented to the general public in 2000. Initially, the car was supposed to be a budget vehicle for US citizens with an average annual income. It embodied the optimal combination of price, functional features, interior and exterior. In 2011 and 2012, the Kia Rio body undergoes significant changes. Leading Korean designers worked on its design. They tried to embody fashion trends, style and an increased level of safety in it. But for different countries, the manufacturer also determined a different appearance of the car.

Kia Rio production plants

Kia Rio brand cars appeared in 2000. Initially, the manufacturer planned to create a budget model for American residents whose income is at an average level.

Kia Rio combines such qualities as price, functionality and appearance.

In 2011, significant changes to the body part are taking place. Korean engineers carefully developed the new body version, embodying fashion, style and safety. However, each state has its own Kia Rio, designed specifically for the country's road conditions.

The country of assembly of the Kia Rio is included in the VIN code. By deciphering this designation, you can understand where this batch was produced. Information about the car manufacturer is not secret and will be provided to you immediately upon purchase.

Any car from Kia must be assembled directly at the plant of the state where sales will take place. If there is no plant in a given country, then production is carried out in a neighboring country, thereby minimizing transportation costs.

The country of origin of the Kia Rio is Korea. In total, the model is produced in five factories. Along with the increase in sales, the number of factories in European countries began to grow.

The first plant appeared in 2005 in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

There are production facilities in Turkey, North America, India, Ecuador, Indonesia and the Philippines.

There is also a plant in Ukraine , and two enterprises in the Russian Federation and China.

In the USA, a large plant for the production of Kia Ria cars was opened in 2009. Its turnover is 300,000 cars per year and the Rio model has occupied the lion's share of sales since 2009.

Interesting! The plant in Ukraine appeared in 2005. The Kia Rio began to be assembled in Lutsk, at the Bogdan plant. Here the manufacturer produces not only the Rio model, but also Sorento, Cerato and Opirus. The Kia Rio model became the best-selling model and 470 thousand cars were sold in 2020.

Although cars of this brand are produced in many countries, Korea remains the country from which cars continue to be transported. This feature is justified by the fact that the Kia Rio is a people's vehicle, whose price tag is optimally combined with functionality.

Features and Specifications

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The Korean brand Kia completely redesigned the Rio in 2020, and the new generation turned out to be worthy of attention. One of the factories where the Kia Rio is assembled is located in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Available as a sedan or hatchback, this subcompact has more standard features than before (like power locks), and it recently became available with safety tech such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.

The Rio also offers intuitive infotainment operations. It has an outstanding predicted reliability rating and no major flaws to mar its overall score. In addition to Russia, the countries where Kia Rio is assembled are Slovenia, India and China.

Production of Kia Rio in Russia

The manufacturer in Russia produces cars with 1.5 liter engines with any configuration. The body can be a hatchback or a sedan.

If the VIN code indicates the country of origin is Russia, then the factories are located in two cities:

Kaliningrad region. The first assembly of this brand in Russia took place here. At the beginning, there were a lot of complaints about the build quality, because large-scale production took place. Since 2009, Rio began to be produced in all modifications, the quality increased and the level of sales began to rise rapidly. Export deliveries have also become popular. Since the plant is located near developed European countries, this factor has greatly improved the market.
The second plant that produces Kia Rio in Russia is located in St. Petersburg. The manufacturer of the popular brand chose this city due to preferential conditions, which are contained in tax preferences and a financial mechanism. The assembly of Rio is carried out on the basis of a preferential program for investors, which exists in many cities. The federal government supports such a program.

The cost of building the plant itself amounted to half a billion dollars. Rio has been assembled in a new body here since 2011.

Interesting! At that time, the conveyor lines from the Hyundai plant were located there. The manufacturer often produces Hyundai and Kia together, because the transport base of Solaris and Rio, along with the engine, transmission and suspension, are the same. Already in 2012, the plant produced cars in the hatchback body, and in 2014 the production of restyling began.

The following production lines are present in Russia:

stamping;
welding;
painting;
assembly.

Important! Those cars that the plant produced before 2014 are subjected to various tests. For these purposes, specialized conveyors have been created right at production sites that evaluate the safety of components and mechanisms.

A full production cycle makes it possible to obtain a car of the highest quality, which will be appreciated by car enthusiasts anywhere in the world. Maximum automation of lines eliminates production errors due to human factors.

"Automotive" period of development

The beginning of the “automobile” period in the development of the brand can be considered 1972, when a license for car production was obtained. A few months later, a Korean gasoline engine was designed for the first time. Already in 1974, the first car rolled off the company's assembly line - Brisa. To a large extent, the car was not of its own design. It would be more correct to call it a copy of the Mazda 1300. It was with this company that KIA then collaborated, and it took advantage of their developments. However, this car was a success both in Korea and abroad. It was the first Korean car to be sold abroad. Sales volumes, however, were insignificant, only a few dozen copies. However, it was a good start.

In the 70s, the company began to expand, several subsidiaries were created (KIA Machine Tool Ltd and KIA Service Corp.), and also acquired Asia Motors, which specialized in the sale of military all-terrain vehicles and trucks.

This became the main focus of their activities in the 70s. In addition, KIA received the right to produce Fiat and Peugeot cars for the Korean market.

Almost until the end of the 70s, KIA was actively developing and expanding. However, in the early 80s it was overtaken by a crisis. The only achievement of the 80s for them was the production of the millionth car (1988).

In the late 80s - early 90s there was a restructuring and name change. Since 1990, the company became known as KIA Motors Corporation. From this moment the next round of development begins. The corporation is confidently entering the international car market. New car brands are being produced. In 1991 - KIA Sportage, Sephia, in 1995 - Clarus, Elan. In 1996 alone, more than 700 thousand cars rolled off the assembly line.

But at this time a financial crisis sets in in Asia, which leads to the actual bankruptcy of the company.

Kia Rio in China

Two factories in China have been producing the Kia Rio since 2013. Not only Rio, but also other models of this brand are produced here. The productivity of the first plant is 130,000 cars per year, while the second produces 300,000.

The company also plans to create an additional enterprise, the productivity of which will be over 300,000 cars per year. Its construction began in 2014, but information about its operation at full capacity is currently unknown.

“Pre-automobile” stage of development

The company was founded in the 40s of the twentieth century in the capital of the South Korean Republic - Seoul. The first name of the company is Kyungsung Precision Industry. The main vector of activity was the production of personal vehicles. Bicycles were produced first, then mopeds and scooters. At that time, the country suffered from a lack of means of transportation. All bicycles sold domestically were imported.

Kyungsung, seeing an unoccupied niche in the industry, began to think about producing domestic bicycles. Just two years after its founding (1946), Kyungsung released the first domestic bicycle under the Samcholli-ho brand.

However, things were not going well for Kyungsung, because at that time Korea was considered a very poor country. A war broke out between the Southern and Northern Republics, which led to all production facilities being moved from Seoul to Busan. But the artisanal production conditions and the remoteness of production areas did not become an obstacle to development. By 1950, the company had designed and produced its own bicycle. The design was quite successful, and also reliable. With such products, Kyungsung could already enter the international market.

In 1952, in connection with the entry into international markets and the successful development of the company, the management decided to change the name to KIA. The history of brand development begins from this moment. The name itself indicated that the company aspires to become a significant figure in the global market. Literally KIA translates as “coming out of Asia.”

The company's next breakthrough was the release of the first domestically produced motorcycle in 1961, and a year later - a 3-wheeled truck. A little later, the first 4-wheeled Titan truck was released: all-wheel drive, with a 2.7–3.6-liter engine and a load capacity of up to 4.5 tons.

Innovations in Kia cars

What fundamentally new did the Koreans offer in their car? Naturally, bold decisions in appearance and interior decoration, a more economical diesel engine with a turbine, the suspension has become stiffer, and ground clearance has decreased by 1 cm, while from a safety point of view, body rigidity has been greatly increased - by about 18%.

As for convenience, Kia (manufacturing country - South Korea) is a leader in this category; in the top version the car is impressive. When you first approach the car, the illumination of the handles immediately turns on, and when you start the engine directly, the position of the front wheels is visible on the screen. For the cold season, the car has nice little things like heated steering wheel and seats on three levels. The most important thing is that all these functions are already in the basic version. The dashboard in the car is completely new, the plastic has been replaced, it has become matte and more comfortable. The steering wheel is not particularly informative, even if there is a power control button directly on it.

Rear visibility is small but clear. On the go, even in economy mode, the engine reserves last for a long time, since there is a turbocharged diesel engine under the hood. In order to get into a car, people with shorter than average height will have to try, there is a very high seating position, and the lower part of the body itself - you feel in this crossover, like in an SUV. The brake pedal was not particularly conveniently located - next to the resting place. This is too low, there is a chance of catching it accidentally. Overall, the car has become an order of magnitude better.

Description of Kia Sorento 2020

It’s a fairly popular car in Russia. And we can say with complete confidence that right from the first day of sales, the car took a leading position in the segment. At the same time, it is worth dwelling more specifically on how this was done. With any restyling of a car, the appearance changes in one way or another, and the same applies to the Kia model range. The manufacturing country tried to put maximum effort into it. At the front, the Sorento received a new radiator grille, as well as a bumper with new optics. The headlights at the front are LED, and LEDs at the rear.

Kia Motors

Kia Motors Factory in South Korea
Kia Motors Corporation (pronounced Kia motors corporation; Korean 기아자동차 주식회사 / 起亞自動車株式會社) is a South Korean automobile company, the second automaker in South Korea and the seventh in the world, founded in December 1944[ 1]. Part of the Hyundai Motor Group. In 2020, more than 149.6 thousand KIA cars were sold in Russia[2], and 3,007,976 cars were sold in the world[3]. Official slogan (“The art of surprise”). The name KIA stands for “Enter the World from Asia” [4] (“Enter the World from Asia”).

Story

Founded in December 1944, it was part of the Kia Group (chaebol), from which it was spun off in 2003. The company was originally called KyungSung Precision Industry, and only in 1951 it received the name KIA Industries. The main activity was the creation of individual means of transportation - bicycles and motorcycles. The production of trucks and cars was established only in the 1970s. The millionth car rolled off the production line in 1988. In 1990, the company received a new name - KIA Motors Inc.[4][5]

In 1998, the company plunged into a financial crisis caused by a sharp decline in sales. The result was a loss of independence: Kia Motors was acquired by the Korean automaker Hyundai Motor. In 1999, the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group was created[5]. After that, almost all Kia models are built on identical platforms from Hyundai, and a model under the Hyundai brand always enters the market first, and only then a model under the Kia brand is released on the same platform [source not specified 46 days].

In 2006, German Peter Schreyer, who previously designed Audi and Volkswagen cars, became the chief designer of Kia Motors. One of the main distinguishing elements of the new design concept from Schreyer was the proprietary radiator grille, called the “Tiger Nose”, in Russian translation - “tiger grin”.

Between 2008 and 2011, Kia's annual global sales increased by 81% to nearly 2.5 million vehicles per year.

In 1997, KIA introduced its first flagship, its first rear-wheel drive luxury model, the KIA Enterprise. The model was focused primarily on the domestic market of its country and was not officially supplied to other markets, although it is rare in the CIS and the Middle East.

After the relative failure of the Opirus, there was a long pause in the luxury sedan niche, and in 2012, KIA introduced its first rear-wheel drive model, which truly had some success with buyers, which was the KIA Quoris luxury sedan (KIA K9 in Korea). At the end of December 2012, Peter Schreyer became one of the three presidents of KIA Motors (president of design), retaining the position of chief designer. For the first time, a foreigner became one of the presidents of South Korean KIA Motors.

In 2014, the KIA brand rose to 74th position in the Interbrand rankings, reaching an estimated value of US$5.4 billion, while the percentage increase - again 15% - significantly exceeded the average increase among the Top 100 of the rating, which was 7%[6].

The company is owned by Hyundai Motor Group. Shareholders: Hyundai Motor (38.67%), Credit Suisse Financial (8.23%), company employees (7.14%), Hyundai Capital (1.26%). Capitalization on the Korean Exchange at the beginning of March 2008 was $3.6 billion.[7]

Activity

The company owns five car factories in South Korea (including the world's largest car assembly plant in Ulsan), Turkey, North America, China, India, etc. In December 2006, a car plant in Slovakia (Žilina) - Kia Motors Slovakia - began operating. . In 2009, a plant was launched in the USA (West Point, Georgia) with a capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year.

The company's cars are sold in 5,000 car dealerships around the world. The KIA Motors distribution network covers more than 190 countries. In 2007, the company's sales volume was 1,286,299 passenger cars and 81,040 light commercial trucks. Revenue for 2006 was $21.6 billion (in 2005 — $16.5 billion), net loss — $317 million (in 2005 — net profit $700.4 million)[7]. In 2010, the company's sales volume amounted to 2.13 million vehicles. Revenue for 2010 was $20.9 billion, net profit was $2.02 billion[8]. In 2013, the company's sales volume amounted to more than 2.746 million vehicles[9]. The best-selling KIA model is the cheapest Rio model - in 2013, more than 470 thousand Rio cars were sold worldwide.

During the crisis of December 2014, it was the only car brand in Russia that stopped issuing cars to customers who had paid for the cars in full, which had an extremely negative impact on the company’s reputation.[10]

KIA in Russia

In 2005, the group launched a project to produce Kia Spectra cars, in 2006 KIA Rio, and a little later KIA Sorento. In 2009-2010, the production of Korean cars at IzhAvto was discontinued. In the summer of 2011, IzhAvto resumed production of limited quantities of old Kia Spectra (1,700 units) and Kia Sorento (800 units) models for several months to fulfill IzhAvto’s obligations to Kia Motors[11][12].

At its plant in Kaliningrad, it assembles the following KIA cars using the unit assembly method: Kia Cee'd, Kia Sportage New, Kia Soul, Kia Sorento, Kia Cerato, Kia Mohave, Kia Venga, Kia Optima, Kia Quoris.

The above-mentioned companies only produce cars, and distribution activities are carried out only by Kia Motors Rus. At the moment, the company has bought out all existing distributors and Avtotor).

In 2010, for the first time in Russia, the KIA brand took first place in car sales among foreign manufacturers for several months and at the end of the whole year took second place, having sold more than 100 thousand cars[13], and the Kia Motors Rus company became one of the best distributors Kia Motors in the world[14][15]. In January 2011, January 2012, August-September 2013, March-August and October 2014, the KIA brand again took first place among foreign automakers in Russia[16][17][18].

In May 2011, it was announced that a special new model Kia Rio[19][20][21] was being created for Russia, production of which began on August 15, 2011 at the Hyundai plant in St. Petersburg[22], and the model itself was presented on 17 August 2011. The basis for the third generation of Kia Rio for Russia was taken from the version created for the Chinese market - Kia K2 - and then adapted for Russian climatic conditions. This model is made on a completely identical platform to the Hyundai Solaris and Hyundai i20.

The best-selling KIA model in Russia is the cheapest model in the line [source not specified 46 days] - Rio - almost 90 thousand cars were sold in 2013. In November 2014, sales of this model reached a record level of 10,834 units, and then for the first time in history, a model from a foreign manufacturer became the best-selling model in Russia, ahead of both the co-platform Korean Hyundai Solaris and the domestic Lada Granta.

In 2013, the company's sales volume on the Russian market amounted to more than 198 thousand cars. The record month for KIA Motors Rus sales in Russia was November 2014, when 20,678 cars were sold, and the brand occupied 9% of the market for the first time.

The total sales volume of KIA in Russia in January-August 2020 amounted to 93,310 cars, which is 6.5% more than the same period of the previous year. [source not specified 637 days]

KIA in China

As of 2013, there are two factories in China with a production capacity of 130,000 and 300,000 units per year, and one under construction with a capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year[23].

KIA cars

Model range of KIA cars

KIA buses

Most of the Kia bus models are manufactured using analogues from well-known Japanese companies: Mazda, Hino, Toyota. The company produces buses of different classes and purposes: small, medium and large classes; urban, suburban, intercity.

Kia Besta is a small minibus 4.6 meters long with 8-11 passenger seats. Engine Kia HW. Speed up to 120 km/h.

Kia Pregio is a 4.8 meter long minibus with 8-12 passenger seats. Engine Kia J2. Speed up to 120 km/h.

Kia Kombi is a family of small buses with diesel engines from Toyota and Mazda. The number of seats is 20-25.

Kia Cosmos are middle-class commuter and intercity buses with 35 seats. Toyota L6 engine.

Kia Granbird is the company's main intercity bus, with 45-47 seats. The engines used are Hino EF-750 and Toyota 17D (380 hp).

Notes

I generation

The story, as mentioned above, began in 2002. It was then that everyone saw the first Kia Sorento SUV. The manufacturing country is South Korea, but the assembly was carried out on several. The first was in the homeland of the car, the second in Russia, the third in the Philippines, and a little later, due to increased demand from American buyers, it was decided to carry out assembly in the USA.

As for the Russian plant, which was located in Izhevsk, at that time only screwdriver assembly was carried out there. If we call this process in simple words, then the finished elements arrived at the workshops, where they had to be assembled together.

After 4 years, it was decided to modernize the model. During restyling, the design of the car was changed and new, more powerful power units were installed.

Kia Motors

Story

In 1998, the company plunged into a financial crisis caused by a sharp decline in sales. The result was a loss of independence: Kia Motors was acquired by the Korean automaker Hyundai Motor. In 1999, the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group was created[5]. After this, almost all Kia models are built on identical platforms from Hyundai, and a model under the Hyundai brand always enters the market first, and only then a model under the Kia brand is released on the same platform [source not specified 38 days].

Between 2008 and 2011, Kia's annual global sales increased by 81% to nearly 2.5 million vehicles per year.

Activity

KIA in Russia

The above-mentioned companies only produce cars, and distribution activities are carried out only by Kia Motors Rus. At the moment, the company has bought out all existing distributors and Avtotor).

The best-selling KIA model in Russia is the cheapest model in the line [source not specified 38 days] - Rio - almost 90 thousand cars were sold in 2013. In November 2014, sales of this model reached a record level of 10,834 units, and then for the first time in history, a model from a foreign manufacturer became the best-selling model in Russia, ahead of both the co-platform Korean Hyundai Solaris and the domestic Lada Granta.

The total sales volume of KIA in Russia in January-August 2020 amounted to 93,310 cars, which is 6.5% more than the same period of the previous year. [source not specified 629 days]

KIA in China

As of 2013, there are two factories in China with a production capacity of 130,000 and 300,000 units per year, and one under construction with a capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year[23].

KIA cars

Model range of KIA cars

KIA buses

Kia Besta is a small minibus 4.6 meters long with 8-11 passenger seats. Engine Kia HW. Speed up to 120 km/h.

Kia Pregio is a 4.8 meter long minibus with 8-12 passenger seats. Engine Kia J2. Speed up to 120 km/h.

Kia Kombi is a family of small buses with diesel engines from Toyota and Mazda. The number of seats is 20-25.

Kia Cosmos are middle-class commuter and intercity buses with 35 seats. Toyota L6 engine.

Kia Granbird is the company's main intercity bus, with 45-47 seats. The engines used are Hino EF-750 and Toyota 17D (380 hp).

Notes

Model range and brief characteristics of KIA cars in Russia

The corporation's cars are presented in a fairly large assortment, despite the unfulfilled plan to update the model range this year. The corporation offers solutions for both city travel and off-road exploration. Among the company's general strengths are good design, high quality and ride comfort. But this is only the first impression of most of the manufacturer’s cars.

Each model from the Korean company’s assortment has its own individual characteristics:

Picanto is a baby hatchback with a bright design, a stylish interior for city trips, the car is regarded as a good offer for the fair sex;
Rio is one of the company’s most popular models, a compact sedan and hatchback with excellent individual external characteristics and durable technology for Russian conditions;
Cee»d is a successful project of the company, available in hatchback, station wagon and coupe bodies, a comfortable and spacious car with good technical characteristics;
Cerato is a traditional C-class sedan with good handling and a high level of equipment, very reliable technology and decent performance for daily use;
The Optima is one of the affordable premium sedans with striking looks, a large interior and a very powerful engine, attractive in all aspects including the price;
Quoris is a truly premium car with an excellent interior, high quality equipment and excellent finishing materials, a car for business and executive class;
Venga is a small family minivan with an attractive price, but not too spacious interior, popular in European countries due to its versatility;
Soul is a small urban crossover with an unusual appearance, memorable design features and a nice spacious interior, a car for smooth rides;
Sportage is a completely reborn compact crossover with an authentic design and outstanding engines, respected for its bold appearance;
Sorento is a large crossover with good technology and impressive dimensions; another generation update is expected in 2020 with a complete change in external details;
Mohave is an SUV with very attractive characteristics, but not a very affordable price, which limits its popularity in our country.

In general, the manufacturer’s model line is quite wide, but some cars need updates. The company has planned many changes to a number of models for this and the coming year, but it is unlikely that they will be implemented. Today the company is experiencing a slight decline in popularity, so many models will be delayed and their entry into the market will be postponed indefinitely. We invite you to watch a short test drive of the small and popular KIA Rio sedan:

Let's sum it up

High quality and affordable price have made the Kia Rio one of the most notable offerings in the segment. Considering all the positive aspects of the car, you can safely go for a test drive and a personal acquaintance at the showroom. The driver is guaranteed positive emotions for a long period after purchasing a car.

The competition from KIA Rio is also great and offers more and more interesting options. Hyundai Accent (Solaris), Renault Logan and Sandero, Chevrolet Cobalt, Skoda Rapid and Volkswagen Polo Sedan - this is the main list of Rio's serious rivals, each of which has its own advantages. Which of these cars would you choose?

One of the currently most popular cars, Kia (manufacturing country is Korea), has been pleasing car enthusiasts for 13 years. The Sorento model debuted in 2002 in America. After its presentation at Chicago car dealerships, the car quickly began to gain popularity. A total of three generations of the Kia Sorento were produced.

II generation

The first generation was produced for 7 years, but in 2009 a new version of Kia was presented in the capital. The country could change, because the assembly was carried out in different places. As a rule, in this matter they are guided by For example, in Russia it was decided to abandon Izhevsk, and production was moved to Kazakhstan. It was in Ust-Kamenogorsk that a plant was specially built, which was called “Asia Auto”. The Kia Motors concern has installed the most modern equipment there, so you don’t have to worry about the quality of the assembly; reliable cars are supplied to the Russian market. By the way, you need to pay attention that Korean specialists closely monitor the products that come off the assembly line.

2020 Kia Sorento Competitors

Who can become a real competitor or is already one for the Korean Kia crossover? Which country produces cars of the same class? Of course, South Korea. But we can mention Japan, the USA, and a number of others. Among the models, it is worth remembering the Chevrolet Captiva with a 2.2-liter engine and a power of 184 hp. With. The car is produced by the Bupyeong Automotive Company. There is also a Hyundai Santa Fe with the same engine, but with 13 hp. With. stronger, Opel Antara with characteristics similar to Captiva. Well, the Toyota RAV4 - still with the same engine displacement, but much less powerful, only 150 horses. The model is assembled in Japan and other countries, because the Toyota concern has 52 factories in total.

Where is the Kia Rio assembled, and what equipment should you buy? Where they make Kia Rio for Russia and other countries Manufacturer of the Kia car.

Kia Rio production plants

Features and Specifications

Production of Kia Rio in Russia

"Automotive" period of development

Kia Rio in China

“Pre-automobile” stage of development

Innovations in Kia cars

Description of Kia Sorento 2020

Kia Motors

Story

Activity

KIA in Russia

KIA in China

KIA cars

Model range of KIA cars

KIA buses

Notes

Links

I generation

Kia Motors

Story

Activity

KIA in Russia

KIA in China

KIA cars

Model range of KIA cars

KIA buses

Notes

Links

Model range and brief characteristics of KIA cars in Russia

Let's sum it up

II generation

2020 Kia Sorento Competitors