Manufacturer catalog

Kia Corporation

Kia Corporation is a South Korean automotive manufacturer with a dedicated special-vehicle business that produces military and government mobility platforms. Its defense-vehicle portfolio includes the KLTV light tactical vehicle family, legacy KM-series tactical trucks, and the newer KMTV medium tactical vehicle line for 2.5-tonne and 5-tonne military logistics roles.

2 weapons

Kia's public corporate information identifies the company as an auto manufacturing and sales enterprise established on December 11, 1944, headquartered at 12, Heolleung-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul. The military-vehicle business is presented through Kia Special Vehicle, which markets fully assembled vehicles, knock-down kits, and bare chassis for customers across Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Europe.

The manufacturer's catalog relevance is concentrated in protected mobility and tactical transport rather than weapons integration claims. Kia's own special-vehicle pages describe the KLTV as a modular light tactical vehicle with command, personnel-carrier, reconnaissance, weapon-carrier, cargo, shelter, NBC, and ambulance branches, while the KMTV program covers new 4x4 and 6x6 medium tactical trucks intended to replace older 2.5-tonne and 5-tonne vehicles.

Light tactical vehiclesMedium tactical trucksMilitary special vehiclesCommercial-vehicle-derived military chassis

Notable Systems

KLTV infantry mobility vehicle, 4x4 light tactical / infantry mobility vehicle, Armored Vehicles

KLTV infantry mobility vehicle

4x4 light tactical / infantry mobility vehicle

Modular 4x4 light tactical vehicle family with armored command, personnel-carrier, reconnaissance, weapon-carrier, multipurpose, cargo, shelter, NBC, and ambulance branches.

Sources: KLTV Series, The Power For Peace
Kia Medium Tactical Vehicle, 4x4 and 6x6 medium tactical truck family, Support Equipment

Kia Medium Tactical Vehicle

4x4 and 6x6 medium tactical truck family

4x4 and 6x6 medium tactical truck family developed for new 2.5-tonne and 5-tonne military logistics roles, including a 6x6 bulletproof cargo-truck branch.

Sources: KMTV Series, Kia RoKA Truck Contract

Manufacturer History

  1. Kia established

    Kia's official corporate information lists December 11, 1944 as the company's establishment date.

    Sources: Kia Corporate Information

  2. Heavy military-vehicle line broadened

    Kia's press office says the company developed a 15-tonne rescue vehicle and heavy equipment transport tractor in 2001, extending its military-vehicle lineup from small to large segments.

    Sources: Kia Combat Vehicle Platform

  3. KLTV enters full-scale production

    Hyundai Motor Group's background article states that the Kia Light Tactical Vehicle entered full-scale production in 2017 and became a new vehicle for South Korea's military.

    Sources: The Power For Peace

  4. Republic of Korea Army truck contract reported

    Jane's reported that Kia won a tender to supply thousands of new 2.5-tonne and 5-tonne trucks for the Republic of Korea Army, replacing older KM250 and KM500 vehicles.

    Sources: Kia RoKA Truck Contract

Website links
Kia Special VehicleKia corporate informationKia shareholders

Kia publishes detailed special-vehicle product pages, but public manufacturer pages should not be read as evidence of conflict use. Conflict-specific claims remain in individual weapon records when directly sourced.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Kia Corporate InformationPublisher: Kia Corporation | Note: Supports Kia's legal name, establishment date, industry, headquarters, corporate status, and CEO context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Kia ShareholdersPublisher: Kia Corporation | Note: Supports ownership context by identifying Hyundai Motor Company as Kia's largest shareholder at the end of 2025. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Kia Special Vehicle Global PresencePublisher: Kia Special Vehicle | Note: Supports Kia Special Vehicle's product scope, export formats, and global defense-market presence. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • KLTV SeriesPublisher: Kia Special Vehicle | Note: Supports the KLTV notable system, product-line role, variant families, and Kia manufacturer context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • KMTV SeriesPublisher: Kia Special Vehicle | Note: Supports the KMTV notable system, 4x4 and 6x6 product lineup, specifications, and official product image. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Kia Combat Vehicle PlatformPublisher: Kia Press Office | Note: Supports Kia's military-vehicle production history, next-generation standard-vehicle development program, and 2001 heavy-vehicle milestone. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • The Power For PeacePublisher: Hyundai Motor Group | Note: Supports Kia Special Vehicle research context, KLTV production timing, KLTV family roles, and KMTV background. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Kia RoKA Truck ContractPublisher: Jane's | Note: Supports the 2020 Republic of Korea Army medium-truck procurement and the KMTV replacement-program context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

1/1
KLTV infantry mobility vehicle, 4x4 light tactical / infantry mobility vehicle, Armored Vehicles2009 Boko Haram InsurgencyKLTV infantry mobility vehicle4x4 light tactical / infantry mobility vehicleBuilt in: South KoreaThe Kia KLTV is a South Korean 4x4 light tactical vehicle family built around a modular chassis for protected mobility, command, reconnaissance, cargo, ambulance, and weapon-carrier roles. Nigeria received KLTV/K152 armored personnel carrier variants during its post-2015 re-equipment drive, with direct reporting placing a KLTV-181 in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency after an ISWAP ambush in northeast Nigeria.

Category

Support Equipment

Transport, logistics, recovery, command, engineering, and other enabling equipment.

1/1
Kia Medium Tactical Vehicle, 4x4 and 6x6 medium tactical truck family, Support EquipmentKia Medium Tactical Vehicle4x4 and 6x6 medium tactical truck familyBuilt in: South KoreaThe Kia Medium Tactical Vehicle is a South Korean tactical truck family covering 4x4 cargo, 6x6 cargo, and 6x6 bulletproof cargo branches. Kia presents it as the successor to older Republic of Korea Army 2.5-tonne and 5-tonne standard military trucks, with all-wheel drive, automatic transmission, central tire inflation, run-flat tire options, and logistics or troop-transport roles rather than a directly documented conflict-use record.