Some people consider Hyundai and Kia to be simply rebadged versions of the same cars. The two brands do have a close relationship, despite the fact that this is not the case. Hyundai acquired Kia in 1998 and now owns 51% of the business. The two corporations are now regarded as sisters because that share has decreased to around a third.
Hyundai and Kia frequently use one another’s vehicle platforms as a result of their tight cooperation. Do the cars from both brands have the same engines?
In This Article...
History[edit]
When Hyundai Motor Company acquired 51% of Kia in 1998, the group was created. Hyundai currently controls 33.7% of Kia Motors as of March 31, 2011.
The Hyundai Motor Group said on May 22, 2022, that by the year 2025, it would invest an extra $5 billion in the United States. With the investment, collaboration with US businesses would be strengthened in fields like urban air mobility, autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, and robotics. President Biden made the announcements while on a trip to South Korea.
Are Hyundai and Kia produced by the same company?
Actually, no. Hyundai is not the same manufacturer as Kia. Since Hyundai Motor Group is their parent firm, they resemble one another more as corporate sisters. Therefore, even though vehicles like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade have similar platforms and structural elements, they are still distinct brands that can stand alone.
In actuality, Kia’s shareholding by Hyundai Motor Group was reduced by 2013. Both brands continued to produce moving forward within Hyundai Motor Group. In the end, Kia gained fame in the British market. has earned credibility as a mainstream brand in the North American market. Likewise, Hyundai. Every year, each brand receives recognition and prizes.
Since 2015, a number of Hyundai Motor Group entities have been partially owned by Kia. While Hyundai and Kia are not the same manufacturer today, they do share a common objective. The focus should be on mobility’s future.
Portfolio of brands and positioning
Both Hyundai and Kia have advanced tremendously over the past 20 years, shattering any lingering perceptions of the subpar, inexpensive, and cheery vehicles they both produced in the 1990s. These advancements have been made possible by stunning designs, dramatic quality improvements, and the use of cutting-edge technologies.
Hyundai and Kia are both positioned equally in the market as mainstream brands competing head-to-head with companies like Toyota and Mazda, unlike Volkswagen and its sister brands.
In a rough sense, it may also be said that Hyundai has recently exhibited more conservative designs, while Kia has historically exhibited a more dynamic design language.
With its lineup of N models, including the i20, i30, and Kona N, Hyundai is the only one of the two to have a dedicated performance sub-brand.
Kia offers GT-Line and GT variants, but has used these names in a more haphazard manner.
Although Hyundai and Kia each have a sizable selection of vehicles, neither manufacturer is present in every market.
Micro and light automobiles (Kia Picanto and Rio), medium (Hyundai Sonata), big cars (Kia Stinger), and vans are segments in which one brand currently serves Australia exclusively (Hyundai iLoad).
While Kia is unable to introduce its similar Telluride here due to the lack of a right-hand drive variant, Hyundai also offers the huge Palisade in the large SUV class.
Although Hyundai theoretically only owns a small portion of Kia, realistically both brands share mechanical parts, such as the chassis, powertrain, and infotainment systems.
The interior and external designs, as well as the final technical adjustments made to the cars, are what differentiate them most.
One area where the two manufacturers do differ is in the after-sales service; whereas Hyundai gives a five-year, unlimited-mileage guarantee with five years of capped price servicing, Kia offers a standard seven-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and seven years of capped price servicing.
Here are a few company-related facts you might not be aware of.
The Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the passenger car brands Hyundai and Genesis, also owns Kia. Together, they currently rank behind Volkswagen, Toyota, and General Motors as the fourth-largest automaker in the world.
- As a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycle parts, Kyungsung Precision Industry was established in 1944 and is now the oldest automobile manufacturer in South Korea. It also produced the Samchully, Korea’s first locally constructed bicycle, in 1951. In 1957, it started making Honda motorcycles under license, and in 1962, it started making Mazda trucks under license. The alliance with Mazda included automobiles in 1974. Kia also produced Fiat and Peugeot vehicles under license in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Only after it began producing automobiles in collaboration with Ford in 1990 did its own brand begin to gain traction (and therefore Mazda, which Ford used to control).
- When Kia Motors America was established in 1992, the brand entered the fiercely competitive US market. Some of the early models that contributed to the brand’s establishment included the Sephia and Sportage.
- When Kia filed for bankruptcy in 1997 under the shadow of Asia’s financial crisis, Ford made an attempt to raise its modest ownership position in the automaker. Ford, however, lost out to a major Korean automaker! In 1998, Hyundai acquired a 51% share in Kia and gained control of the firm. Currently, Hyundai Motor Co. controls 33.88% of the firm, however Kia is a division of its shared parent, Hyundai Motor Group.
- When Kia strengthened its focus on Europe and engaged former Audi designer Peter Schreyer as the company’s design manager, a significant turnaround occurred. This culminated in Kia’s “Tiger-Nose” design philosophy, which, like Hyundai’s Fluidic-Sculpture, contributed to a sharp rise in global sales. Additionally, Schreyer was promoted to President of the Hyundai Group and Chief Designer as a result.
- Over 3 million automobiles were sold by Kia worldwide in 2018, and the company is one of the fastest-growing brands in numerous international markets. Although it is a sister brand of Hyundai, the two firms’ front-end operations remain distinct, and they engage in direct competition with one another over similar items in the same market.
- Hyundai products and the complete Kia product line share platforms and components. On any car, however, there is no cross-badging or evident part sharing. The Soul, Optima, and Sorento are three of its most well-liked products. We’ll probably get the Rio, Picanto, Sportage, as well as some new compact cars made just for India.
Hyundai and Kia Brand Comparison
There are many parallels between Hyundai and Kia. Both companies are situated in South Korea and have comparable product lines. In actuality, Hyundai Motor Company owns 34% of Kia Motors. Many of these vehicles share engineering, platforms, and powertrains. Hyundai and Kia, however, run their businesses separately. Each brand continues to operate its own design studios, engineering team, sales team, and marketing division. Having said that, there are really more positive similarities between the two brands than negative ones, which is good. Both manufacturers produce luxurious cars with excellent warranties that their owners adore. Nevertheless, it’s important to be aware of these minor variations so that you can make an educated decision.
Hyundai technically owns one-third of Kia, making it the automaker’s parent company. They are two independent businesses, despite sharing platforms, engines, and other components. With the exception of pickup trucks and sports cars, both Kia and Honda provide a full range of automobiles.
Does Hyundai and Kia share the same engine?
Yes, a lot of the engines used in Hyundai models are also used in Kia cars, and the reverse is also true. Several instances include:
- The Hyundai Kona, Hyundai i20, Kia Ceed, and Kia Stonic all have Kappa G3LA/G3LC engines.
- The Hyundai i30, Kia Ceed, and Hyundai Elantra all feature the Kappa G4LD engine.
- The Kia Rio, Kia Ceed, and Hyundai i20 all have Gamma G4FA engines.
- The Kia Ceed, Kia Rio, and Hyundai Accent all employ the Gamma MPI/GDI/T-GDI.
- The Kia Sorento, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Stinger all use Theta MFI/GDI Turbo engines.
- The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento both use the D4HB engine.
- The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Stinger both use the Lambda MPI/DGI/T-GDI.
What distinguishes a Hyundai from a Kia?
Although Kia and the Hyundai Motor Group are separate companies, Kia Motors is a subsidiary of Hyundai. The distinction between Kia and Hyundai is that each brand has its own brand philosophies to build its vehicles in a distinctive manner. As you can see, they are similar but distinct.
Is Kia’s warranty equivalent to Hyundai’s?
Both companies provide relatively comparable coverage and some of the strongest warranties in the business. All new car purchases come with a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty from both Kia and Hyundai.
What is more expensive, a Hyundai or a Kia?
Kia automobiles are typically less priced than their Hyundai counterparts. The comparable Hyundai Elantra starts at $19,850, while the Kia Forte starts at $17,890. Kia doesn’t cut corners on features or quality since the Forte is less priced. Like Hyundai, Kia provides one of the best warranties in the industry, which is ten years and 100,000 miles. Both companies offer quality that is unmatched in the industry and stand behind their products. In the J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study*, Kia placed third for 2021, ahead of brands like Toyota, Chevrolet, and even Mercedes-Benz. Even Hyundai’s luxury division, Genesis, ended behind Kia. Only Porsche and Lexus were ranked higher among mass market brands in terms of quality than Kia. At the top of that list, Kia is, in our opinion, in good company. It’s also important to note that J.D. Power named the Kia Optima, Sorento, and Sportage as the top models in each of their respective classes.
Are Kias built at a low cost?
Why are KIAs so inexpensive when they are regarded for having a comfortable ride, a respectable new-vehicle warranty, and lots of cargo space?
Every automobile owner has a reason(s) for favoring a particular brand’s model. While some people are seeking the excitement and speed, others are searching for a reliable car for their family. The features you require, how the car is made, and the brand will all affect how much it costs. Some purchasers will pay attention to the amenities that come with the price, while others don’t care about the vehicle’s price.
KIAs are affordable since the raw material for their car bodies is plastic. As they are designed to survive five to seven years, they have a short production line and a bad image as disposable cars. Another factor contributing to KIA’s affordability is the cheap labor market.
The brand’s entry into the United States wasn’t easy, and the majority of people thought KIA was a budget manufacturer of subpar automobiles. However, over time, the Korean business has worked to disprove these allegations by funding production and research to demonstrate the dependability of KIA.
Continue reading to find out why KIAs are so affordable and whether you should buy one.
Here is what we learned after conducting our investigation and speaking with numerous professionals in the field of vehicle production.