Kia is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is the second-largest automobile manufacturer in South Korea, after its parent company, Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 2.8 million vehicles in 2019. Kia was founded in May 1944 and is Koreas oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. The name "Kia" derives from the Sino-Korean characters 起 (ki, to arise) and 亞 (a, which stands for 亞細亞, meaning Asia); it is roughly translated as "Rising from (East) Asia". Kia produces a wide range of vehicles, including SUVs, sedans, sports cars, hybrids, EVs, and luxury cars.