When the automaker arrived in the U.S. in 1994, its cars were poorly reviewed, and it was seen mostly as a low-cost value brand.
Now, Kia is winning awards and commanding higher markups than its peers.
U.S. sales have gone from about 12,000 units in 1994 to almost 700,000 units in 2022.
"We had a record in 2022," said Steve Center, chief operating officer of Kia America, adding that the first half of 2023 brought another sales record.
But Kia believes it can take on electric as well as it took on internal combustion.
Persons:
Kia, Steve Center, I've, Ivan Drury, Edmunds, We've, we'll
Organizations:
Kia America, ICS, BMW, Audi, U.S ., EV
Locations:
Korean, U.S, .