right. Kia DID manufacture them in Korea.. but, they use Mazda engines/ trans, and they were built to Fords s.. at the time Ford owned part of Kia and of course, owned Mazda.. Ford cut ties with Kia around 1997 ( last year for the American Aspire/ Festiva ).. in 1998, the Rio and Sephia came out mainstream and Kia went full force and put dealerships nationwide and turned into what they are today.. b4 '97, the Kia name has existed in the us since 1994, but dealerships wearn't nationwide until 1998