On Dec. 5 at the first floor of Kia Vision Square in Yongin, Gyeonggi. As we stepped into the 15,072-square-meter (8,214-pyeong) interior, a variety of means of transportation came into view at a glance, from vintage-design bicycles to unfamiliar three-wheeled cars, the Pride once called the "people's compact," and flashy concept cars. Marking its 80th anniversary that day, Kia held an event exhibiting the achievements it has made from its start as a bicycle maker to its growth into a global finished car manufacturer.
The first thing that stood out upon entering the exhibition hall was a bicycle. It was the 3000-ri, the first bicycle produced in Korea by Kyungsung Precision Industry, founded in 1944 as the predecessor of Kia.
Founder Kim Cheol-ho of the late Kyungsung Precision Industry learned the technology in Japan to manufacture the "rim," considered the biggest hurdle in bicycle production, and in 1952, while in Busan as an evacuee, made 12 prototypes of domestically produced bicycles. It was around this time that Kyungsung Precision Industry changed its name to Kia Industry. Kim, the founder, was said to have remarked, "Once we complete bicycles, we will make cars; once we complete cars, we will make airplanes."
Next to the 3000-ri was the Kia Master K-360, Kia Industry's first three-wheeler. Its three wheels, which looked about 14 inches, blue paint, and various boxes loaded in a small trunk stood out. A staffer in charge of guiding said, "This vehicle was designed to suit the narrow road environment of the time and was used to carry citizens' belongings through city alleys." Wooden boxes were loaded onto the exhibited three-wheeler.
Then the Brisa, a four-wheeled car launched in 1974, caught the eye. After completing the Sohari Plant, the country's first automobile factory, in 1973, Kia Industry built and released the Brisa just one year later. Although this car was a licensed production model of a vehicle from the Japanese finished car brand Mazda, Kia Industry produced even the engine in-house within two years of launch, raising the domestic content rate to 89.5%.
The Brisa became a means of transportation for the public as it was widely used as taxis in the late 1970s. However, it is said that founder Kim Cheol-ho never saw the car completed in his lifetime, as it was finished four days after his passing.
The Bongo, still called "the feet of small business owners," was also on display. The early Bongo was built not as today's 1-ton truck but in a boxy van form. Inside the exhibited vehicle were items such as safety helmets and various tools that showed how the Bongo was used in the 1980s.
Kia's PBV (Purpose-Built Vehicle) model PV5, released this year, was displayed in the same space as the Bongo. Inside the PV5 were camping lights, bedding, a laptop, and more. Kia said it decided on this exhibition design to highlight the advantages of PBVs that can be used for various purposes.
The Sportage, the first urban sport utility vehicle (SUV), and the Carnival, one of Kia's long-selling models, were displayed alongside the work clothes of Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo. The Carnival is a "cash-cow model" that played a major role in turning a profit one year after Kia was acquired by Hyundai Motor and emerging from court receivership two years later. A guide staffer explained, "Honorary Chairman Chung wore work clothes and closely examined the production processes of the Sportage and the Carnival."
After changing its name from Kia Motors to Kia in 2021, the first electrified model it released, the EV6, was exhibited along with Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle platform E-GMP. A video was also shown capturing the process of Kia's challenges with electrified models before launching the EV6, from the Pony EV to the Ray EV and the Soul EV.
At the 80th-anniversary event that day, Kia unveiled the future concept car "Vision Metatourismo." The car is equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) head-up display (AR HUD) technology. Through this, drivers can use smart glasses installed in the vehicle to view virtual graphics in three dimensions as if floating above the real road, without wearing separate equipment.
A Kia official said, "Based on our 80-year history, we plan to embody the essential value of movement in the global mobility market and take the lead in innovation."