The competition between siblings is among the fiercest everywhere, and this is also true in the case of Hyundai and Kia.
As a result, the two businesses have an ownership position in one another, with Hyundai directly owning 33.9% of all Kia shares and Kia having an indirect stake in Hyundai through ownership of Hyundai Steel and supplier Hyundai Mobis.
Both are regarded as mainstream brands in Australia and frequently rank among the top 10 brands on sales lists.
Last month was one of the few times, according to VFACTS sales data, where Kia actually outsold its brother.
In May 2021, Kia sold 7124 cars, making it the third most popular brand in Australia, and Hyundai sold 6450 cars, placing it in sixth position.
In This Article...
History
Kyungsung Precision Industry was established in December 1944, near the close of World War II, with the intended goal of enhancing the infrastructure and enhancing mobility in a war-torn Korea through the production of bicycles and steel tubing.
Automobile production started in 1962, although the firm concentrated on producing licensed versions of models from other manufacturers rather than designing and creating its own vehicles.
Prior to the start of production of Mazda-based passenger vehicles, including the Familia-based Brisa, in 1973 at the company’s first automobile manufacturing site in Sohari, South Korea, this involved the production of Mazda-designed and engineered light trucks (near Seoul).
The Peugeot 604 and Fiat 132 cars were among the other models built at this time. Later, Kia built and marketed the Ford Festiva, which was based on the Mazda 121, in collaboration with Ford, who at the time also owned a stake in Mazda.
The Ceres light truck was the first Kia-branded vehicle made available in Australia in 1992. It had a 2.2-liter diesel engine with a five-speed manual transmission and a starting price of $14,957, although it only produced 52kW of power and 142Nm of torque overall.
The Mentor hatchback and Sportage SUV were the first passenger vehicles to arrive in this area in late 1996.
The original construction company, Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company, was expanded into the Hyundai Motor Company in 1967.
Similar to Kia, Hyundai got its start in 1968 by producing licensed replicas of foreign automobiles, in this case the Ford Cortina.
Hyundai, in contrast to Kia, concentrated on constructing passenger automobiles and began work on one of the first independently designed and produced South Korean vehicles. The business enlisted the help of European experts, including the former managing director of Austin, and entrusted renowned design studio Giugaro with the duty of designing in order to accomplish this.
The tiny Pony was the outcome, which was on sale in late 1975, with shipments to South American and Middle Eastern nations starting the following year.
With the Hyundai Excel line, which came first as a five-door hatchback and later as a four-door sedan, exports to Australia started in 1986.
The earliest Excels had either a three-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual transmission with a carburetted 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 52kW and 123Nm of torque. Prices for a base GL manual initially began at $9990.
Due to Kia’s insolvency during the late 1990s Asian financial crisis, Hyundai was able to purchase an initial 51% ownership in the company in 1998 after outbidding Ford, who had previously had a stake in the company.
Brand portfolio and positioning
Over the past 20 years, Hyundai and Kia have advanced in leaps and bounds, shattering any lingering perceptions of the subpar, inexpensive, and cheery cars both brands produced in the 1990s. These advancements have been made possible by stunning designs, dramatic quality improvements, and the use of the most 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 theoretically Hyundai only owns a small portion of Kia, practically both companies share mechanical underpinnings, such as 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.
What about Genesis?
Genesis serves as a luxury subsidiary inside Hyundai Motor Company and is to Hyundai what Lexus is to Toyota. Although it is placed above both Hyundai and Kia, it has closer links to Hyundai.
Before the brand was spun off in 2015, the Genesis moniker originally emerged in 2008 on a Hyundai-badged sedan and coupe riding on a unique rear-wheel drive architecture. Here, it was formally introduced in 2019.
Even though the Hyundai Motor Group now has its own independent luxury brand with Genesis, the Hyundai and Kia brands continue to provide their own lineups of opulent vehicles.
For instance, in 2018, Kia unveiled the second generation of the full-sized luxury sedan Quoris/K900, which is built on the same platform as the premium Genesis G90.
The future: EVs and E-GMP
With models derived on platforms for internal combustion engines, such as the Kona and Ioniq from Hyundai and the Niro EV from Kia, both Hyundai and Kia have rapidly pushed into the electric vehicle market.
The company has stated that it would keep selling these EVs derived from ICE, but it is also introducing a wide range of models on an exclusive all-electric platform known as E-GMP.
Ioniq 5 and EV6 production-spec models from Hyundai and Kia have been made public, and Hyundai has also hinted at the arrival of the Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 7.
What’s the difference between Hyundai and Kia?
Despite the obvious similarities between the cars made by Hyundai and Kia, there are also significant variances that support the existence of two different brands. In the simplest terms, Hyundai optimizes their cars to be more refined, quiet, and comfy, whilst Kia strives for a more energetic and youthful image. We’re delighted to announce that both companies have a reputation for producing top-notch goods.
Do Hyundai and Kia use the same engines?
There are many parallels between Hyundai and Kia. Both companies are situated in South Korea and have comparable product lines. In actuality, just 34% of Kia Motors is owned by Hyundai Motor Co. 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.
Does Kia have a stake in Hyundai?
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. They are connected but distinct, as you can see! Just picture a Kia against.
Who builds the Kia engines?
Hyundai and Kia produce their own engines, and a recent manufacturing fault may result in the premature death of more than 1 million of those engines.
For the same problem, Hyundai and Kia made separate recall announcements. About 572,000 examples of the 2013-2014 Santa Fe and 2013-2014 Sonata are included in Hyundai’s recall. About 618,160 units of the 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento, and 2011-2013 Sportage are included in Kia’s recall.
One of two enginesa 2.4-liter, direct-injected, naturally aspirated I4 or a 2.0-liter, turbocharged I4powers each of the involved vehicles. The motors’ various production dates range from 2010 to 2014.
The problem is due to manufacturing mistakes. It appears that metal debris in the crankshaft oil passageways wasn’t properly wiped out, and a second mistake led to surface roughness in the crankpins (crank journals). The connecting rod bearings, which enable the connecting rods to move freely, may receive less oil as a result of these two issues.
The engine may begin to knock as the bearing ages from contacting a rough surface without lubrication. The engine may seize up and be doomed to the scrap heap if the driver doesn’t understand what’s wrong and the bearings fail. If the engine seizes while the car is moving, it also poses a safety risk.
In May, notice will be given to dealers and owners, the latter by first-class mail. Owners must visit the dealership so that mechanics can examine and perhaps replace the engine. Owners who have previously paid for repairs must follow certain procedures in order to receive reimbursement from Hyundai or Kia.
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What distinguishes Kia and Hyundai from one another?
Hyundai delivers a more opulent and flowing style, whereas Kia creates cars with a sportier look. With a little more varied selection of cars, Kia’s lineup includes the Sedona minivan, which reaches a wider target population. Hyundai, meantime, sells a line of high-end vehicles under the Genesis brand.
How does Kia compare to Hyundai?
Although Kia and Hyundai both have solid reputations, there can only be one victor in terms of dependability. It’s Kia in this instance. But it was a close race, much like many of the comparisons between Hyundai and Kia. The reliability scores for both are 3.5 out of 5, making this a very tight contest. The Kia Rio, which received a reliability rating of 4.5, served as the turning point.
U.S. News and Autotrader both claimed that Kia had improved its reliability. However, Consumer Reports doesn’t exactly concur with other detractors. Out of thirty automakers, Hyundai came in sixth place and Kia in ninth. Even though the difference is small, some drivers might be persuaded by it.
Who makes the engines that Hyundai uses?
MONTGOMERY Governor Kay Ivey and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC President and CEO Dong Ryeol Choi today made the announcement that Hyundai will invest $388 million to build a plant specifically for the production of engine heads and upgrade current operations to support production of new Sonata and Elantra sedan models. 50 new employment will be produced by the investment.
The next-generation Hyundai engine, which will require new technology and components as part of its assembly process, is being prepared by Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA). The capital investment will be used to upgrade technologies in an existing engine plant and purchase equipment for a facility that will machine engine heads.
“Governor Ivey stated that Hyundai is a significant contributor to Alabama’s burgeoning auto sector and that this expansion at its Montgomery production facility would fuel the global automaker’s push for future growth in the United States.
Hyundai’s large new investment is a clear indication of the company’s faith in its operations in Alabama and in its highly qualified employees.
At today’s announcement, Hyundai President and CEO Dong Ryeol Choi said, “With our most recent expansion, HMMA continues to demonstrate our strong commitment to the people of Montgomery and the people of Alabama. Hyundai is continuing its track record of investing in new manufacturing technologies to ensure the long-term success of our Alabama assembly plant.
The 260,000 square foot structure that will house the head machining equipment will be built for about $40 million. In November 2018, the engine head machining plant’s construction is expected to be finished. With the completion of this project, one of HMMA’s existing engine facilities will have more room to add engine assembly lines.
By the middle of 2019, the new engine head machining plant will be up and running. The Sonata, Elantra, and Santa Fe crossover utility vehicles all use engines made by HMMA. A total of 700,000 engines can be produced annually at HMMA’s two engine factories to help with car manufacturing at both HMMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Georgia.
With 2,700 full-time and 500 part-time employees, HMMA is the largest private factory in the River Region and began producing vehicles in May 2005.
An independent manufacturing unit of the Hyundai Motor Company, established in Seoul, Korea, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama. The 2018 Sonata, 2018 Elantra, and 2018 Santa Fe Sport CUVs are all now made by HMMA. Hyundai Motor America distributes Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles throughout the country, and more than 900 Hyundai dealerships in North America sell and maintain Hyundai vehicles.
who offers a superior warranty Hyundai or Kia?
By no means is Kia only a low-cost automaker, but it has quickly established itself as one of the top names with a strong assortment of low-cost cars. Because of its selection of dependable, reasonably priced vehicles and a warranty program that competes with many other more expensive automakers as well as its sister brand, Hyundai, it earns the top spot on our list for value.
Both the 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and the five-year or 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty are longer than those offered by the majority of Hyundai’s rivals. With the corrosion warranty and roadside support package, Kia narrowly misses out on surpassing its sister brand.
Kia has a maximum of 100,000 and 60,000 miles, however Hyundai allows unlimited miles on both. Nevertheless, these cover almost twice as much as the warranties offered by most other automakers.
Does another company own Kia?
The major automakers with present presences in the United States are listed below, along with the brands they sell.
BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce are all owned by BMW Group. Smart and Mercedes-Benz are owned by Daimler AG. Lincoln and Ford are owned by Ford Motor Co. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac all belong to General Motors. Hummer is back as a GMC subsidiary brand. In order to co-develop EVs, GM and Honda have an official collaboration. Acura and Honda are owned by Honda Motor Co. It collaborates with GM. Sony Honda Mobility is the name of the electric vehicle firm they founded with Sony. Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia are all owned by Hyundai Motor Group. Mazda is owned by Mazda Motor Corp. Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Infiniti are all owned by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot S.A., a new company called Stellantis was created. According to the explanation, the word is derived from the Latin verb “stello,” which means “to dazzle with stars.” Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, and Ram are now under Stellantis and are FCA brands that are offered in the United States. Other Stellantis automobile brands include Citroen, DS Automobiles, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall. Subaru is owned by Subaru Corp. Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by Tata Motors. Owned by Tesla. Lexus and Toyota are owned by Toyota Motor Corp. Additionally, it owns stock in Suzuki and Subaru. The automotive brand VinFast, along with VinHomes, VinBigData, VinBioCare, and VinBrain, are all owned by VinGroup. Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Volkswagen are all brands owned by Volkswagen AG. Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus are all brands owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (ZGH).