Used Kia Cars in Iowa

Kia has been in existence since 1944, yet the company didn't start selling cars here in the States until 1994. As is the case today with Chinese manufacturers, Americans initially viewed Korean-based Kia with a bit of skepticism, but the appeal of the $8,500 Kia Sephia proved irresistible for a number of shoppers. Following the Sephia was the Kia Sportage, a small and affordable SUV packed with available four-wheel drive. That little rig lives on today, though it has been redesigned since originally being introduced in 1995.

During the next several years, the lineup consisted only of the Kia Sportage and Kia Sephia, but after Hyundai took control of the company in 1999 the number of models grew quickly. By 2001, the Sportage and Sephia were accompanied by the Kia Rio, the Kia Spectra5, the Kia Optima, and the Kia Sedona minivan. Three years after that, the ranks had filled out with the addition of the five-door Kia Rio5, the Kia Sorento SUV, and the Kia Amanti sedan. The Kia Rondo went on sale in 2007 in response to cars like the Mazda5, the Kia Borrego arrived in 2009 to belatedly supply dwindling large SUV demand, and the Kia Soul came just in time to battle the Nissan Cube for sales. The launch of the Soul coincided with the Spectra's successor, the Kia Forte.

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Kia did not enter Europe's large family car market until the launch of its Credos four-door sedan in 1999. This car was similar in size to the Ford Mondeo, but on its launch was actually cheaper to buy than the smaller Focus. It had a spacious interior, large boot, competitive asking price and high equipment levels, but it had little more appeal to sway buyers away from established European brands like Ford Motor Company, Vauxhall/Opel, Renault and Peugeot. Kia entered the MPV market in 1999 with the Sedona. On its launch, it was the cheapest full-size people carrier on sale in the United Kingdom.

2004 saw the commencement of European imports for the Kia Picanto city car. It has proved very popular with budget buyers in most of Europe.

As of 2007, Kia has been importing cars to Europe for 16 years. The range has gradually expanded over that time so the marquee has a competitor in just about every sector except for the luxury and sports market. Sales of its products have so far failed to match those of established European brands, but current sales records have been impressive for a marquee which only arrived in Europe at the start of the previous decade. Find more information on Used Kia Cars on KBB.com

Much like its The Power to Surprise tagline suggests, Kia continues to change American car buyers' impressions of Korean cars, crossovers, and SUVs. Under the ownership of fellow Korean car company Hyundai, Kia has seen its recognition grow in concert with its lineup. Part of the success can be attributed to the brand's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty (shared with Hyundai), while the rest falls on the increasingly stylish shoulders of affordable vehicles.