Asia Motors Asia Hi-Topic

Asia Hi-Topic at a glance

The Hi-Topic is a simple, robust workhorse designed to carry passengers or goods in towns and on poor roads. It has no luxuries, but its simple design makes it reliable and easy to repair. In the 1990s the 15-seat version was widely used as a minibus for shuttle and shared-taxi services in several countries. Asia Motors' story is told in the history of Asia, and the brand's models are in the Asia Motors catalogue.

Asia Motors and the Topic family

Asia Motors was founded in Gwangju in 1965, financed by the entrepreneur Lee Mun-hwan, after a 1962 tax exemption encouraged local assembly of imported parts. It first built military vehicles, trucks and buses, and from 1970 it assembled the Fiat 124 under an agreement with Fiat. Dongkuk Steel took over the company in 1969, and in 1976 Kia bought it after Asia lost its car-assembly permits. A 1978 agreement with Hino Motors helped Asia build larger trucks and buses.

Asia's light commercial range included the Asia Topic, related to the Mazda Bongo and the first Kia Bongo, the Asia Towner, a version of the Daihatsu Hijet also sold as the Kia Towner, and the Asia Combi minibus, based on the Mazda Parkway and closely related to the Kia Combi. The Hi-Topic extended the Topic idea to a larger van and minibus, so that together with the small Towner and the large Combi, Asia covered the whole light commercial range. Asia also built the Rocsta off-roader, later replaced by the Retona. After Hyundai acquired Kia, the Asia brand was discontinued in 1999, and models such as the Retona continued under the Kia name.

Body styles and interior

The Hi-Topic's appearance is plain and functional, with a flat cab-over front and a tall body. The range covers several body styles:

The cabin is not especially roomy, but it is adequate for the driver and passengers. The 15-seat minibus has rows of seats behind the cab, while the six-seat crew van combines a second row with a cargo area. Equipment is basic, and power steering was an option.

Engines and transmission

The engines drive the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox or, on some versions, an automatic with three gears plus overdrive. The modest output of 75 hp is enough for steady acceleration in town traffic, but performance is limited when the vehicle is fully loaded.

Chassis

The front suspension is independent with transverse wishbones, while the rear uses a rigid one-piece axle on leaf springs. The optional hydraulic power steering makes the van easier to manoeuvre in town. The simple construction means that the Hi-Topic can be repaired almost anywhere, and spare parts have been easy to find.

The bigger brother: Asia Combi

Above the Hi-Topic, Asia offered the Combi, a 24-seat minibus launched in October 1983 and based on the second-generation Mazda Parkway. Most versions used a 4.05-litre Mazda six-cylinder diesel with 74 kW (100 PS), and from 1996 Hyundai turbo-diesels with 3.3 and 3.9 litres and 88–103 kW (120–140 PS) were added. The original twin-headlight AM805/807 was followed by the AM815 with single headlights, the AM815 Hi-Combi in 1994 and the updated AM825 for 1996. After the Asia brand disappeared, the minibus continued as the Kia Combi until October 2002. Together, the Hi-Topic and Combi covered the light and medium passenger-transport market for Asia Motors. Other light commercial models can be found in the vans section.

The Hi-Topic in service

The Hi-Topic earned a reputation as a very tough vehicle. Owners noted that it reliably carries passengers or cargo day after day, even on poor roads, and copes with its transport tasks without complaint. It is not comfortable by modern standards, but owners valued its ability to keep working with minimal maintenance. As the Asia brand ended in 1999, new vehicles stopped arriving in export markets, and today the Hi-Topic is found mainly on the used market. Asia Motors also tried to expand in South America, founding Asia Motors do Brasil in 1994, but a planned plant at Camaçari was never completed.

Rivals: how the Hi-Topic compares

The Hi-Topic competed with light vans and minibuses such as the Toyota HiAce, Mitsubishi L300, Hyundai H-100 and its relative, the Kia Bongo. Its strengths are a simple and durable design that tolerates hard work, several body styles, a 15-seat minibus version and easy repair; its weaknesses are low power, basic comfort and equipment, and limited safety by today's standards. For later Korean vans and cars, see the history of Kia and other Korean cars.