Intro: Another product of the boom years in South Korea, which became a casualty as soon as the economy took a nose-dive. Kia Cars, the oldest car company in South Korea, was closely linked with Mazda during its formative years, but following its near demise and a dip into administrative receivership, Hyundai Motor Corporation rescued it, in a cute deal between it and the Korean National Bank. In the past three years, Kia has pulled itself out of the mire and developed an almost entirely new product line-up. Yet, its intended role as a less costly alternative to Hyundai, means that although it is developing to meet European standards, it cannot do so at a rate that is snappier than that of its parent company. Regardless, it does have some worthwhile products that most buyers will find are perfectly acceptable, as long as their expectations are not so high. |
