Kia Motors (Korean: 기아자동차) is South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer, having sold over 1.6 million cars in 2011.^[2]

The word Kia derives from Korean words meaning “to arise to the world out of Asia.”

With its headquarters in Seoul, the company is partly owned by the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Since August 21, 2011, Hyoung-Keun (Hank) Lee leads the company's global operations from the headquarters in Seoul.^[3] North American and European arms are operated by Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Europe respectively.

Since 2005, Kia has focused on the European market and has identified design as its "core future growth engine"—leading to the hiring of Peter Schreyer in 2006 as Chief Design Officer^[4] and his subsequent creation of a new corporate grille known as the 'Tiger Nose'.^[5][6]