Kia celebrated its 80th anniversary.
On the 5th, Kia held the "Kia 80th Anniversary Ceremony" at Vision Square in Yongin, Gyeonggi, looking back on its journey. It published an 80-year company history commemorating the 80th anniversary and also unveiled its future concept car "Vision Meta Turismo" for the first time.
About 400 people attended the commemorative event, including National Assembly Deputy Speaker Lee Hak-young, Kim Nam-hee, member of the National Assembly for Gwangmyeong (Eul), Mayor Kang Gi-jung of Gwangju, and guests, as well as Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Kia President Song Ho-sung, along with current and former Kia executives and employees.
The "Kia 80 years" book unveiled at the event is the first history book published since Kia joined Hyundai Motor Group. It comprehensively organized and reexamined Kia's brand history. Since founding Kyungsung Jeonggong in 1944, it condensed Kia's unique growth history from two-wheel bicycles to three-wheeled vehicles and passenger cars, to electric vehicles and PBVs.
Alongside the 80th anniversary company history, Kia also unveiled the future concept car "Vision Meta Turismo" for the first time, which embeds Kia's vision for a new mobility era with dynamic driving and a comfortable travel experience.
Kia also held the 80th anniversary exhibition "The Legacy of Movement," showcasing Kia's heritage models through its electrified lineup in one space.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun said, "Kia's 80 years have been a great journey like an epic," and said, "On behalf of Hyundai Motor Group, I deeply thank everyone who has been with us as we remember the past 80 years."
Kia 80 years is the first history book in about 30 years since publishing the 50th anniversary company history in 1994.
It condensed Kia's growth from two-wheel bicycles and motorcycles to three-wheeled vehicles and passenger cars, to electric vehicles and PBVs. Over the past 80 years, Kia, which devoted itself solely to the mobility industry, candidly organized its history under the theme of "challenge and striving." It described founder Kim Cheol-ho's spirit of bringing technology to the nation and serving the country through industry, honorary chairman Chung Mong-koo's quality management and global management that led Kia's revival, Chung Eui-sun's design-driven management that changed organizational culture through innovation, and recent "Kia Total Transformation," ensuring the growth process over about 80 years is fully narrated in Kia 80 years.
Kia also published an abridged book, Challenge and Striving / Kia 80 years. Challenge and Striving / Kia 80 years rearranged the founding spirit, major model development processes, trials and overcoming, and brand growth stories into an easy-to-read format. A talk session "80-year heritage," which examines the significance of publishing the company history, was also held to widely share Kia's spirit of "challenge and striving."
Kia President Song Ho-sung said, "Based on the lessons from compiling the Kia 80 years company history, we will reflect on the 'spirit of striving' that has continued since the company's founding," and said, "We will cherish Kia's heritage, including its intangible assets, and use it as a driving force to move into the future."
Kia's future concept car "Vision Meta Turismo," which presents the brand's direction and clear vision, combines dynamic driving performance with a spacious interior. It is a future concept car that expands the concept of mobility from simple driving to rest and communication. It modernly reinterprets the allure of long-distance travel in the 1960s to embody driving enjoyment, new experiences using digital technology, and comfortable resting spaces in the concept car.
The exterior design presents a futuristic silhouette with smooth surfaces and geometric elements based on Kia's design philosophy Opposites United, the creative fusion of contrasting concepts. The interior design strengthens the interaction between humans and mobility through digital technology and realizes a space that transforms moments of movement into an immersive experience.
In particular, this concept car is equipped with three digital driving modes—"Speedster," "Dreamer" and "Gamer"—that utilize AR HUD (AR Head-Up Display) technology. AR HUD is a function that allows the driver to view virtual graphics three-dimensionally overlaid on the real road using the vehicle's built-in smart glass without wearing separate equipment.
Each driving mode will combine various elements such as dynamic lighting, realistic sound, and virtual racing using the surrounding environment based on AR HUD and smart glass to provide an immersive driving experience depending on the situation. The spacious interior of the Vision Meta Turismo offers enjoyment to both driver and passengers, and Kia said it intends to continue offering not only technologically advanced mobility but also inspiring experiences in the future.
Kia vice president and head of global design Karim Habib said, "The Vision Meta Turismo reflects Kia's vision by combining dynamic mobility and a human-centered space," and said, "Going forward, Kia will continue to provide not only technologically advanced mobility but also experiences that stimulate the senses and inspire."
On the first floor of Vision Square, where the commemorative event was held, a meaningful exhibition space was 마련 to provide a clear view of Kia's evolution.
The 80th anniversary exhibition "The Legacy of Movement" presented Kia's history of turning the impossible into possible through 17 vehicles, from the first domestically produced bicycle completed in 1952, the "3000-ri," to long-running brand models such as the Sportage and Carnival.
The exhibition, which covers everything from heritage vehicles to key models from major production bases in the United States and Europe, is divided into eight detailed spaces: "Wheels and legacy," themed on Kia's starting point and founder Kim Cheol-ho's vision; "Evolution and legacy," highlighting Kia's customer-centric DNA from the Bongo to the PV5; and "Pioneering and legacy," telling Kia's story of expanding globally based on local production and sales strategies.
The exhibition space called "people and legacy" highlights the leadership story of Hyundai Motor Group honorary chairman Chung Mong-koo, who emphasized that "if you lose quality, you lose everything," underscoring the importance of quality management, and spotlights Kia's long-running flagship models Sportage and Carnival. This space added meaning to the exhibition by simultaneously showing the history of quality and global management that Hyundai Motor Group has quietly built behind Kia and the customers who shared precious daily lives with Kia.
The "Legacy of Movement" exhibition was opened on the 5th to coincide with the commemorative event and will operate until 2029, and a "customer visit special program" will be prepared later so external visitors can view the exhibition.
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