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!
In This Article...
Kia: Is it a division of Hyundai?
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 has a 51 percent share in 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?
Who owns the Kia brand?
Having been established in May 1944, Kia Corporation is Korea’s oldest automobile manufacturer. From modest beginnings producing bicycles and motorcycles, Kia has developed into the vibrant, international Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group to become the fifth-largest automaker in the world.
Kia currently produces over 1.4 million automobiles annually at 14 production and assembly facilities across eight nations. Through a network of more than 3,000 distributors and dealers in 172 countries, these vehicles are sold and maintained. The Corporation employs over 40,000 people and generates more than US$17 billion in revenue each year.
In its “home” nation of South Korea, Kia runs three significant auto assembly plantsthe Hwasung, Sohari, and Kwangju facilitiesas well as an outstanding research and development facility in Namyang that employs 8,000 technicians and a separate environmental R&D facility. The Eco-Technology Research Institute, located close to Seoul, is focusing on cutting-edge end-of-life car recycling technologies and processes as well as future hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Kia operates research facilities in the USA, Japan, and Germany and dedicates 6% of its yearly revenues to R&D.
Are the engines in Kia and Hyundai the same?
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 actually 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.
Toyota produces Kia, right?
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 is partners 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).
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.
Do Hyundai and Kia use the same parts?
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.
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.
Is Hyundai more dependable than Kia?
According to Amodeo, “automakers are increasingly considering how closely customers’ interactions with their vehicles resemble those of other consumer electronics.” “For instance, cell phones often receive over-the-air software updates, and as a result, automakers are increasingly required to use this strategy to address issues, enhance features, and add capabilities in order to maintain customer satisfaction. The best automakers at this will have a tremendous edge.”
Seven of the top 10 issues identified by the study are infotainment-related: voice recognition, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, Bluetooth, insufficient power outlets or USB ports, confusing or challenging navigation systems, infotainment touch screen or display screen, and inaccurate/outdated maps.
For the second year in a row, the Porsche 911 received the top rating for overall vehicle dependability. The 911 has received this distinction three times in the last four years.
The highest-ranking brand was Kia, which improved from third place in 2021. Buick, Hyundai, Toyota, and Dodge are other popular mass market brands that score highly for reliability of their vehicles, placing second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Genesis ranked first among luxury vehicles, followed by Lexus, Porsche, Cadillac, and Lincoln.
On average, mass market brands like Kia and Hyundai experienced less issues than their premium competitors. More technology is frequently found in vehicles from premium manufacturers, which raises the possibility of issues.
The survey also discovered that the quality of mass-produced cars has greatly increased recently and is now on par with that of premium manufacturers.
Are Hyundai and Kia related businesses?
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.
Is Kia up to par with Toyota?
According to a J.D. Power research from 2019, Kia has the highest initial quality in the non-premium segment in the United States. The 2016 Kia Soul, 2016 Toyota Corolla, Prius, and Prius V were all rated as being among the most dependable vehicles on the road by J.D. Power.
Are Kia engines durable?
People used to love to despise Kia as a brand. Although Kia is now known for producing high-quality cars like the Telluride, the South Korean carmaker has had a difficult past. You may have be aware that Kia has turned the corner and is now one of the most well-known brands on the international market.
There are undoubtedly plenty of Kia models available if you’re interested in purchasing one. However, some individuals may still remember Kia’s previous reputation for being unreliable, leading them to wonder: How long do Kias last?
In this article, we’ll examine the typical lifespan of Kia automobiles. How many miles should your Kia last? Is it a dependable, enduring brand? Which Kias have the longest lifespan and are the most dependable? These inquiries and others will be addressed.
How Far and Long Can You Drive a Kia?
What’s the real scoop on how long Kias last? Kia vehicles are predicted to last up to 200,000 kilometers when driven responsibly. Owners that provided their Kias with the necessary TLC report that they were able to get 200,000 to 250,000 miles out of them and keep them on the road for ten years or longer.
Of course, each driver’s experience with car longevity will be different (pardon the pun). Numerous elements, such as ownership maintenance and driving conditions, have an impact on longevity.
While the more modern Kia lines can clock 200,000+ miles on the odometer, the earlier Kias from around 20 years ago won’t win any medals for dependability.
These figures are competitive with brands like Honda and Toyota. For instance, Reader’s Digest claims that the Kia Rio subcompact sedan can reach 250,000 miles, while J.D. Power rates its dependability well.
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Kias Reliability Ratings
The general reliability of a vehicle is one of the most important variables affecting its longevity. This raises the issue, are Kias trustworthy? How durable are Kias?
In a nutshell: Kia is a trustworthy company. Please, though, don’t take our word for it; instead, let us direct you to the professionals.
Kia has a reliability score that is above average. Although Kia first gained a reputation for being unreliable when it entered the American market, the South Korean manufacturer has since gotten its act together and is now one of the most dependable companies.
It currently ranks as the third most reliable car brand on the market with a RepairPal dependability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. Only Honda and Acura, two businesses renowned for their legendary dependability, can surpass Kia.
With a low yearly repair cost of $474 as opposed to the country’s average of $652 for all models, Kia also received top marks for cost of ownership. Kia vehicles stay on the road longer than many brands thanks to 0.2 times as many unscheduled maintenance visits per year and a 10% likelihood of significant repairs.
Which Kias are the Most Reliable?
Kia sells premium automobiles for reasonable pricing. Like many automakers, Kia has some models that are better engineered than others. A vehicle has a better probability of remaining on the road and traveling farther if it is more dependable. Some of the most dependable Kias that will last you a long time are listed below:
Kia Rio
As basic a mode of transportation as you can find is the Kia Rio. The Rio won’t blow anyone away, but it provides adequate comfort, usefulness, and acceptable fuel efficiency at a fair price. The base Rio models are quite basic, but the higher trims are fully equipped cars that do the job admirably.
The Kia Rio will last you for a very long time with the right care and maintenance thanks to the combination of Kia’s top-tier guarantee and excellent safety ratings. As previously noted, some Rio owners asserted that their tiny car had logged 250,000 miles.
A quick check of RepairPal reveals that the Rio ranks 6th out of 21 subcompact cars with a dependability rating of 4.5 out of 5.0.
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Kia Soul
The boxy sheet metal Kia Soul is a big-hearted vehicle that usually draws attention. The Soul, however, is more than simply a quirky SUV since it has great utility, great fuel economy, and a ton of contemporary technology. Although many individuals find the base trim to be a little too basic, the Soul’s low price is undoubtedly its biggest selling point.
The Kia Soul requires proper care and maintenance, just like any other vehicle. The Soul may travel up to 200,000 miles and even more if you give it the proper care. The Soul will reward you with 1013 years of dependable service if you maintain your oil changes and dealership servicing.
Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage belongs in the classy subcompact SUV category. If you’re searching for a chic and versatile suburban SUV, the Sportage is a good choice. It’s not just one of the more visually appealing subcompact SUVs on the market; it’s also lavishly furnished with contemporary features and cutting-edge safety technologies. The Sportage is an SUV that will last even though it doesn’t have a powerful performance.
Again, assuming the Sportage is well-maintained, it should have no issue reaching 200,000 miles or more. Many Sportage owners with more over 200,000 miles on the odometer can be found if you visit some well-known automotive forums. Kia offers 5-year/60,000-mile standard and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties, so you can drive more miles with greater confidence.
According to RepairPal, the Sportage is ranked sixth out of 26 compact SUVs with a dependability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0.
Make Your Kias Last
How durable are Kias? Actually, as the owner, it will also depend on you. It would be beneficial if you drove carefully and responsibly, in addition to adhering to your routine maintenance plan and taking care of repair concerns as soon as they arise.
You might not be particularly knowledgeable about your car’s brakes unless you’re a mechanic or a super-committed auto enthusiast. How much time do they usually last? How frequently should brakes be replaced? We have solutions.
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