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?
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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.
Kia
The South Korean multinational automaker Kia Corporation, often known as Kia (Korean: gia; Hanja: Qi Ya; RR: Gia; MR: Kia, IPA: [ki.a]; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is based in Seoul. With sales of more than 2.8 million vehicles in 2019, it surpassed its parent firm, Hyundai Motor Company, to become South Korea’s second-largest automaker. Hyundai has a 33.88% share in the Kia Corporation as of 2015[update], valued at just over US$6 billion, making it the minority owner of the company. The ownership stake Kia holds in more than twenty Hyundai companies, which is worth more than US$8.3 billion, ranges from 4.9% to 45.37%.
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.
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.