Kia vehicles are made by Kia Corporation and its regional manufacturing operations; Kia has Hyundai-group ownership ties and documented production in South Korea and Georgia, USA. [1][2][3]

Who makes Kia?

Owner
Kia Corporation, South Korea; Hyundai Motor Company was its largest shareholder at 35.17% in Kia’s end-2025 table, not a 100% owner. [1]
Made by
Kia Corporation and regional operations such as Kia Georgia; the West Point plant began EV9 assembly in May 2024. [2][3]
Made in
South Korea and West Point, Georgia, USA are confirmed EV9 production origins in the reviewed 2024 reporting; location depends on model, market and build date. [2][3]

Last checked · 3 sources · English source review

Kia supply chain map

Select a node to inspect its role and evidence. Arrows show ownership or manufacturing relationships, not shipment volumes.

Brand

→ Owner

→ Manufacturer

→ Factory

Kia

Kia vehicles are made by Kia Corporation and its regional manufacturing operations; Kia has Hyundai-group ownership ties and documented production in South Korea and Georgia, USA.

Evidence: [1][2][3]

Text version of the map

  • Kia (Brand): Kia vehicles are made by Kia Corporation and its regional manufacturing operations; Kia has Hyundai-group ownership ties and documented production in South Korea and Georgia, USA. [1][2][3]
  • Kia → Kia (Owner): Kia Corporation, South Korea; Hyundai Motor Company was its largest shareholder at 35.17% in Kia’s end-2025 table, not a 100% owner. [1]
  • Kia → Kia / Kia Georgia (Manufacturer): Kia Corporation and regional operations such as Kia Georgia; the West Point plant began EV9 assembly in May 2024. [2][3]
  • Kia / Kia Georgia → West Point, Georgia, USA — EV9 (Factory): Start of assembly documented in May 2024. [2][3]
  • Kia / Kia Georgia → South Korea — EV9 origin (Factory): Country confirmed by contemporary reporting; exact Korean plant not assigned in this review. [2]

Who owns Kia?

Kia’s end-2025 table names Hyundai Motor Company as largest shareholder at 35.17%, with related parties totaling 36.99%. This is a dated shareholding, not an assertion of the exact October 2026 percentage or of wholly owned status. [1]

Who actually makes Kia products?

Kia Georgia is an actual vehicle assembler. Contemporary reporting confirms that its West Point team began building saleable EV9 SUVs on May 30, 2024, expanding the brand’s American manufacturing beyond its earlier combustion models. [2][3]

Where are Kia products made?

The EV9 was already being built in South Korea before Georgia assembly began. Consequently, two EV9s can have different production origins; a model name alone does not determine the factory. This map deliberately includes only the reviewed locations. [2][3]

Is Kia made in China or the USA?

Yes, Kia builds vehicles in the USA: West Point’s EV9 launch is confirmed. That US example does not establish that every Kia is American-made, and the selected evidence does not identify Chinese factories for individual Kia models. [2][3]

Same factory, different label

Genesis is another guide to consult for the Hyundai connection, but its ownership as a Hyundai luxury division differs from Kia’s shareholding structure. These sources do not prove that a Kia and a Genesis are made on the same line. [1]

Compare the sourced ownership and manufacturing guides: GenesisLexusAcuraHyundai

Ownership timeline

  1. 2024-05-30: Kia Georgia began EV9 assembly. [2]
  2. 2024-06-07: Georgia Public Broadcasting documented the plant milestone. [3]
  3. 2025-12-31: Kia’s dated shareholder tables describe its separate ownership structure. [1]

Frequently asked questions

4 questions about this supply chain, answered from the records above.

Who makes kia?

Kia Corporation and regional operations such as Kia Georgia; the West Point plant began EV9 assembly in May 2024.[2][3]

Where are kia made?

South Korea and West Point, Georgia, USA are confirmed EV9 production origins in the reviewed 2024 reporting; location depends on model, market and build date.[2][3]

Who owns kia?

Kia Corporation, South Korea; Hyundai Motor Company was its largest shareholder at 35.17% in Kia’s end-2025 table, not a 100% owner.[1]

Who manufactures kia?

Kia Corporation and regional operations such as Kia Georgia; the West Point plant began EV9 assembly in May 2024.[2][3]

Sources and scope

Year-only source dates denote the report’s coverage year. Dated disclosures establish the facts described at that time. Plant output, contracts and ownership can change; this is a selected map, not a complete supplier census.

  1. [1] Kia shareholder structure — end of 2025 — 2025-12-31 · Primary source · Reviewed 2026-10-21.

    Dated shareholder-status and governance tables; Kia is separately share-owned, with Hyundai-related parties rather than a single wholly owning brand parent.

  2. [2] Kia EV9 American production starts in Georgia — 2024-05-30 · Reporting · Reviewed 2026-10-21.

    Reports EV9 assembly starting in West Point and previous Korean production.

  3. [3] Kia at West Point rolls out the first EV made in Georgia — 2024-06-07 · Reporting · Reviewed 2026-10-21.

    Reports Kia Georgia’s May 30 EV9 launch and the US plant operation.

Unconfirmed

  • Exact October 2026 Hyundai ownership percentage and factories for models outside the reviewed EV9 example.