The Kia Titan was the first four-wheeled truck Kia built, starting in November 1971 at the Sohari plant. It was a licensed Mazda Titan and stayed in production for 26 years, outliving its own replacement by almost a decade.
Kia Titan at a glance
| Maker | Kia Industries |
|---|---|
| Production | November 1971–November 1997 |
| Built at | Sohari plant |
| Launched as | E2000 |
| Based on | Mazda Titan, first generation, built under licence |
| Gearbox | five-speed column change |
| Parking brake | cable operated |
| Cab | fixed, not tilting |
| Contract built | by Asia Motors, 1994–1997 |
| Replaced by | Kia Trade in 1988, Frontier 2.5-tonne later |
Based mainly on one source, the Korean Wikipedia article on the Titan; no free photograph of the truck was found.
History of the Kia Titan
The Titan went into production at Sohari in November 1971, when it was called the E2000. Kia built the first-generation Mazda Titan under licence, and the truck kept several features that marked it out: a five-speed column gear change, a cable-operated parking brake and, unlike the later Trade, a fixed cab with no tilt mechanism. Because the cab could not be tipped, the seat cushion had to be lifted to reach the engine, as in most one-tonne trucks of the period.
Models and engines
The original E2000 was a two-tonne cargo truck with a 1,985 cc VA petrol engine. In 1973 the E2700 arrived with a 2,701 cc XB diesel in two- and 3.5-tonne versions. From 1981 the Super Titan was built, and from 1986 the Jumbo Titan, which offered a wide range of engines: a 77 hp 2.5-litre XA diesel in the 1.4-tonne truck, an 81 hp 2.7-litre SS in the 1.4-tonne, an 86 hp 3.0-litre HA in the two-tonne, a 105 hp 3.5-litre SL in the two- and 2.5-tonne and a 102 hp 3.6-litre SH in the two- and 2.5-tonne. Bodies included cargo trucks, double-cab cargo, dump trucks, mixers, tankers, refuse and street-cleaning vehicles, and a sewage truck from 1976.
Long life
When the Trade appeared in 1988 as the Titan’s replacement and as a wide-cab model, the Titan did not stop: it remained a steady seller until November 1997. From 1994 to 1997 it was contract-built by Asia Motors. Its eventual successor in the two-and-a-half-tonne class was the Frontier. Super Titan and Jumbo Titan examples are preserved today by Kumho Trading.
Design and features
- First Kia four-wheeler: the truck that started Kia’s four-wheeled vehicle production.
- Column gear change: a five-speed lever on the steering column.
- Fixed cab: no tilt mechanism, so engine work meant lifting the seat cushion.
- Many bodies: cargo, double cab, tipper, mixer, tanker and municipal vehicles.
Kia Titan versions
- E2000 (1971–): two-tonne cargo truck with a 1,985 cc petrol engine.
- E2700 (1973–): 2,701 cc diesel in two and 3.5-tonne forms.
- Super Titan (1981–): the updated range.
- Jumbo Titan (1986–): wide-cab range with 2.5 to 3.6-litre diesels.
The Titan was replaced by the Kia Trade, and its cabin was shared with the agricultural Kia Ceres, which used a longer front end from the same design. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.
Sources
- Kia Titan, Korean Wikipedia: dates, engines, models, bodies, contract production
- Mazda Titan, English Wikipedia: the model the Kia Titan was based on
