Kia to discontinue production of large coaches

GlobalData

Thu, June 18, 2026 astatine 7:15 AM CDT 1 min read

Kia Corporation is looking to unopen down its struggling ample autobus manufacturing operations, according to section reports citing the company's labour union. The South Korean automaker began producing buses implicit 50 years ago, during its erstwhile beingness arsenic Asia Motors Industries, earlier Kia Motors took implicit the institution successful 1976.

Kia's labour national told reporters that the automaker informed its workers during a labour-management committee gathering this week that it plans to cease accumulation of ample buses wrong the adjacent 2 years, with accumulation to beryllium consolidated astatine Hyundai Motor Company. The program is expected to look fierce absorption from the unions, however, which are demanding occupation extortion measures.

Kia's main ample autobus merchandise is the Granbird, with income amounting to conscionable implicit 1,400 units past twelvemonth – achieved chiefly successful the company's location market. The Granbird is produced astatine the company's Hanam plant, wrong the Kia Autoland manufacturing analyzable successful Gwangju, wherever it besides makes peculiar vehicles including subject vehicles.

According to section reports, home autobus manufacturers person travel nether unit successful caller years from low-cost Chinese manufacturers, portion stricter emissions regulations person besides accrued improvement and accumulation costs.

"Kia to discontinue accumulation of ample coaches" was primitively created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.