Sephia was Kia’s first model fully developed in-house—an independent C-segment sedan created from the ground up over 50 months of R&D. With no overseas platform to rely on, its body design and engineering were completed solely with domestic technology. It stood as a symbol of Kia’s technological independence and creative ambition.
Exported not only to the U.S. and Europe but also to emerging markets, Sephia rose to popularity in the late 1990s and was even selected as Indonesia’s car of the people under the name Timor. In 1999, it helped Kia reach 100,000 units sold in the U.S. in record time—boosting the brand’s global presence.
Sephia wins the World Rally in Australia in 1995
Sephia’s first export to Europe in 1993
Length:
4,335 mm
Width:
1,695 mm
Height:
1,395 mm
Drive type:
Front-wheel drive
Engine:
Inline 4-cylinder gasoline
Displacement:
1,498 cc
