Kia has come a long way from the days when its bargain-bin rides were derided universally. Today, the Korean carmaker boasts some incredibly good cars in its model line-up that can stand up to rivals from established Japanese brands like Toyota and Honda. However, its Spartan logo was far from adequate to represent the brand’s current stature. In fact, with its unremarkable font surrounded by an equally unremarkable oval, Kia’s logo has arguably been the worst among those of mainstream automakers.

Finally, realization seems to have dawned and the Korean giant has unveiled a new logo and brand slogan that is aimed at signifying the automaker’s bold transformation.

Photo: Supplied

Gone is the oval, and the blocky old font has been ditched in favour of a flowing script spelling out the stylized Kia name.

Also gone is the brand slogan “the power to surprise” replaced by ‘Movement that inspires’.

“Kia’s new logo represents the company’s commitment to becoming an icon for change and innovation”, said Ho Sung Song, Kia’s President and CEO. “The automotive industry is experiencing a period of rapid transformation, and Kia is proactively shaping and adapting to these changes. Our new logo represents our desire to inspire customers as their mobility needs evolve, and for our employees to rise to the challenges we face in a fast-changing industry.”

While unveiling the new logo, Kia also set a new Guinness World Record for ‘Most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launching fireworks simultaneously’.