Kia Builds 1 Millionth Vehicle at its Slovakian Plant

The 1 millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line at Kia's Zilina plant in Slovakia just a little over five years since the factory opened, marking a significant landmark for the South Korean automaker.

The milestone model was a white, diesel-engined Cee’d SW that was handed over to a Slovakian children’s charity called the Red Nose Clowndoctors (no connection with Adult Swim's Children's Hospital…).

Read more »

Kia Moves Production of Venga from the Czech Republic to Slovakia

South Korean car manufacturer Kia Motors said on Thursday that it has begun assembly of the Venga small MPV at its factory in the city of Zilina in Slovakia, which also builds the Cee'd family of C-segment models and the Sportage SUV.

Up until now, Kia produced the B-segment MPV at sister company's Hyundai Motor other European plant in the Czech Republic.

Read more »

Kia to Add Third Shift at Slovak and US Plants Due to High Demand

To keep up with rising demand for Kia models in Europe, the South Korean has decided to introduce a third shift at its Zilina plant in Slovakia and hire another 1,000 new employees. The company expects the recruitment process to be completed by December and have the three-shifts operational in the first quarter of 2012. Read more »

Kia Plug-ins to Geneva Show with Venga All-Electric Concept

Kia pulled the wraps of its first all-electric plug-in concept car based on the new Venga small MPV at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The main difference between the production and the concept version of the car is well hidden under the hood as Kia replaced the Venga's conventional powertrain with an electric motor producing 107HP (80kW) and a maximum torque of 280Nm.

According to the South Korean automaker, the Venga EV is capable of accelerating from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 11.8 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 140km/h or 87mph.

Read more »

Kia Venga Mini MPV: Updated with Live Shots from the Frankfurt Show

*New Photo Gallery with Images from Kia's Frankfurt Show Stand

Kia has issued an array of new photos of the Venga, the firm's new mini MPV competitor in the B-segment that will rival the likes of the Opel Meriva and Citroen C3 Picasso when it goes on sale across Europe later this year. The Venga, which was designed and engineered and will be manufactured in Europe, is 4,068 mm long and 1,600 mm tall with a stretchy 2,615 mm wheelbase that's longer than let's say, that of the VW Golf / Jetta models (2,578 mm), thus promising to offer a spacious interior for its size.

The Korean automaker's proposal in the mini MPV segment comes equipped with a sliding rear bench that can also fold flat increasing the car's stuffing abilities along with a clever boot floor that provides a hidden storage area. Some versions will also feature a tilt-&-slide all-glass panoramic roof.

European buyers can pick from two 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre gasoline and diesel engines, with outputs ranging from 75 to 115 horsepower. Interestingly, all engines in the line-up will be fitted with Kia's ISG (Idle Stop & Go) start-stop technology as standard.

Frankfurt Show Gallery

_____________________________________________________________

Press Album