u/inbus12

Kia Motors announced at a meeting with the labor union on June 17 that it plans to discontinue production of the Granbird, its sole bus model. Stricter emission regulations and deteriorating profitability were cited as the reasons. Additionally, the influx of coach buses from Chinese brands such as BYD and Kinglong into the Korean market also played a role. The labor union protested this decision, stating that it would cease all consultations with the company. Concerns are rising among bus companies and drivers. Kia, which began bus production in 1965, has maintained a high market share in the coach bus market and continued to produce coach buses even after merging with Hyundai. Currently, Hyundai and Kia produce 60% and 30% of the buses operating in Korea, respectively; however, since other Korean bus brands produce only city buses, Hyundai will monopolize the coach bus market if Kia ceases production. In addition, there are concerns that the situation could worsen if Kia also stops production, given that Kia and Hyundai's bus production volumes have not been able to keep up with demand since Daewoo Bus withdrew from the Korean market in 2024.