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All-new Kia debuts for 2011 include the Optima sedan, Sorento SUV, and Sportage compact crossover

The Sedona receives a facelift, while the Forte, Rio and Soul models are mostly carryovers

History
Kia Motor Corporation was founded in Korea in 1944 (the name of the company literally means "to come out of Asia"). The automaker didn't originally build cars, but rather steel tubing and parts for bicycles. Its first venture into motorized vehicles was with motorcycles (a natural progression) and trucks. It wasn't until 1974 that Kia built its first car.

Kia automobiles were first sold in the North American market in 1992, and the company slowly spread its dealer network across the US from the west. In an unusual move, Hyundai Motors (its Korean rival) picked up a majority stake in the company-even though Ford Motor Company had owned a portion of Kia for more than a decade.

Today, Kia manufactures a variety of passenger automobiles and sport utility vehicles. These include coupes, sedans and SUVs with up-to-7-passenger seating capacities. Models include those with front- and all-wheel drive fueled by gasoline and (new for 2011) hybrid powertrains. Kia vehicles are manufactured in Korea and North America and sold around the world.

2011 Kia Models at a Glance:

• Forte-An all-new 5-door model joins the lineup
• Forte Koup-Mostly a carryover
• Optima-All-new redesign for 2011
• Rio-Mostly a carryover
• Rio5-Mostly a carryover
• Sedona-Facelift and minor updates
• Sorento-All-new redesign for 2011
• Soul-Mostly a carryover
• Sportage-All-new redesign for 2011

For More Information:

• 2011 Kia Model Information
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