Most Improved Player Barr None

It's only been five years since Kia came to Canada, October 1999 to be exact. The South Korean brand has gone from a mere curiosity to a major player, or in more precise terms from selling approximately 8,000 units in 2000, it's first full year of sales, to projected sales of 35,000 for 2004. One thing seems pretty obvious, an awful lot of Canadians like Kia.

In only five short years, Kia Canada has gone from a novelty nameplate to a major player, and for good reason. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

And there's good reason. My brother was looking for a new sport utility and he asked for my recommendation. After having spent a week with the Sorento just previously, and being duly impressed, I relayed my positive experience. A few days later a two-tone fully-loaded Kia Sorento was parked in his driveway. He and his family love it.

The one car in Kia's lineup that didn't really measure up to the brand's progressively improving image was the Spectra. Well, that's about to change in a major way. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

I've heard many similar stories over the last couple of years, especially now that the brand's actual and perceived quality has improved to the point that it rivals most competitors, even the Japanese.

That's true for just about all of Kia's models. I mean, who would have thought the economy brand would produce a luxury sedan? But it's here now as the Amanti. Just before the Sorento was brought to market Kia introduced the Sedona minivan, a great value next to its domestic and Asian counterparts especially when factoring in its refined, attractively designed interior. The Magentis offers a lot for the money too, with even the tiny, cheap as borscht Rio subcompact displaying better overall quality than some domestic competitors.