The Kia Retona was a small mini SUV developed by Asia Motors from Kia’s military jeeps. Its name is a contraction of “return to nature”, and in some markets it was sold as the Asia Retona.
Kia Retona at a glance
| Maker | Asia Motors, then Kia |
|---|---|
| Type | small mini SUV |
| Name | from “return to nature” |
| Based on | Kia military jeeps |
| Platform | first-generation Kia Sportage Convertible |
| Rivals | Lada Niva, Suzuki Jimny, SsangYong Korando |
| Reputation | rated “abysmally” unreliable in a 2006 German survey |
Based on one short source, the English Wikipedia article on the Retona.
History of the Kia Retona
The Retona was developed by Asia Motors, the company that became Kia’s commercial vehicle division, and was initially sold as the Asia Retona in some markets. It was a small, utilitarian mini SUV built on the same platform as the first-generation Kia Sportage Convertible and on the mechanical basis of Kia’s military jeeps, which gave it genuine off-road hardware in a very small package.
Rivals and reputation
The Retona competed with the Lada Niva, the Suzuki Jimny and the SsangYong Korando: small, cheap four-wheel-drive cars with few concessions to comfort. It was a niche model even in Korea, and its reputation suffered. A 2006 survey of German owners by the magazine Auto Bild found the Retona “abysmally” unreliable, which is the sort of verdict that tends to follow a low-volume, simple vehicle built for rough use rather than long-term polish.
The Retona is remembered today as one of the last genuinely utilitarian small Kias, a direct descendant of the military jeeps the company had built for the Korean army, and as the car that kept the Sportage Convertible’s platform alive after that model’s own run.
Design and features
- Military roots: built on the platform and mechanics of Kia’s military jeeps.
- Sportage link: the same platform as the first-generation Sportage Convertible.
- Small and simple: a direct rival to the Lada Niva and Suzuki Jimny.
- Poor reliability record: criticised by owners in a 2006 German survey.
Kia Retona versions
- Kia Retona: the civilian mini SUV.
- Asia Retona: the name used in some markets before the Kia branding.
The Retona was the utilitarian cousin of the Kia Sportage, and it came from the Asian jeep tradition that also produced the Ceres farm truck. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.
Sources
- Kia Retona, English Wikipedia: origins, platform, rivals, reliability survey
