The Kia Boxer was the first four-wheeled vehicle Kia ever produced, and it stayed in the range for 27 years. It began in 1971 as a licensed copy of the Mazda Boxer and ended in 1998 as a wide-cab truck related to the Kia Rhino.
Kia Boxer at a glance
| Maker | Kia Industries, later Kia Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1971–1998 |
| First generation | 1971–1993 |
| Second generation | wide Boxer, 1992–1998 |
| Based on | Mazda Boxer, first generation |
| First engine | 3,800 cc YA diesel, 110 PS |
| 4.5-ton engine | 4,052 cc ZB diesel, 115 PS |
| Cabins | Mazda design, then Hino Ranger third generation |
| Replaced by | Kia Rhino for 4.5 tons, wide Boxer for 4 tons |
Based on one source, the Korean Wikipedia article on the Boxer, which is titled 기아 복사 (a misspelling of 복서).
History of the Kia Boxer
Kia began building the Boxer in 1971 under licence from Mazda, using the first-generation Mazda Boxer. At first only a four-ton model with a 110 PS 3,800 cc YA engine was sold; in 1973 a 4.5-ton version with a 115 PS 4,052 cc ZB engine joined it. Production started at the Sohari plant, now Kia Autoland Gwangmyeong, and moved to the Gwangju plant in June 1984, when production was also contracted out to Asia Motors, then an affiliate of Kia Industries.
Badges and facelifts
In March 1986 the front badge changed from KIA MASTER to KIA MOTORS and the Boxer logo lost the drawing of the Boxer dog inside the letter O; at the same time the truck was facelifted with new signal lamps and a new grille. When Kia’s new corporate identity arrived in 1987 the front logo changed again, from Kia Motors to the kia wordmark with a wave above it.
Wide Boxer
The 4.5-ton first-generation Boxer was succeeded by the first-generation Rhino in 1988, and the four-ton model by the second-generation Boxer in March 1992, officially called the Wide Boxer. The Wide Boxer was the smaller brother of the Rhino: its cabin was based on the third-generation Hino Ranger, restyled to Mazda Titan second-generation lines for Korean conditions, and its chassis came from the FD version of the same Ranger. The engine was taken from the Combi mid-size bus.
The Wide Boxer was facelifted in 1993, with a new grille, a black instead of body-coloured grille surround and a safety window in the passenger door. In 1994, with Kia’s new corporate identity, the front logo changed from the wave wordmark to KIΛ inside an oval. The first-generation Boxer was discontinued in December 1993, and the Wide Boxer in 1998, when the second-generation Rhino replaced both.
Design and features
- First Kia four-wheeler: the Boxer of 1971 was the company’s first four-wheeled vehicle.
- Licensed design: the first generation was a Mazda Boxer built in Korea.
- Heavy-duty range: four-ton and 4.5-ton chassis with diesel engines.
- Hino-based cabin: the wide second generation used a third-generation Hino Ranger cabin and FD chassis.
Kia Boxer versions
- Boxer four-ton (1971–1993): 3,800 cc YA diesel with 110 PS.
- Boxer 4.5-ton (1973–1988): 4,052 cc ZB diesel with 115 PS.
- Wide Boxer (1992–1998): four-ton model with Hino Ranger-based cabin and Combi engine.
- Dump and cargo bodies: both chassis were sold as tippers and flat-bed cargo trucks.
The Boxer was replaced by the Kia Rhino, and its first-generation cabin was shared with the Kia Titan. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.
Sources
- Kia Boxer, Korean Wikipedia: dates, engines, plants, badges, Wide Boxer details
