Kia

With its headquarters in Seoul, Kia is Korea’s oldest car company and its second largest automobile manufacturer, selling 1.6 million cars worldwide in 2009. Though focused primarily on the European market, Kia opened its first U.S. assembly plant in Georgia in 2010 and has increased its U.S. market share every year for the last 15 years. Determined to improve a perception of their automotive design, in 2006 Kia hired award-winning Peter Schreyer as Chief Design Officer. Schreyer, who had previously designed the Audi TT, a very stylish two-door sports car, set out to create a recognizable “face” for the brand, so that consumers would recognize a vehicle as a Kia immediately. The result of Schreyer’s redesign was a new three-dimensional signature grill known as the “Tiger Nose,” which was built across all models. The high-visibility grill, which gives Kias a more sharp and assertive look, was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007.

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