Difference between Hyundai and Kia, are they the Same Company?

Both Hyundai and Kia are Korean brands, with Hyundai Motor Group being the parent company of Kia. Although Hyundai is the parent company of Kia, they are not the same company. In India, Hyundai has been a key player in our market for quite some time now, while Kia has recently entered, however quickly became successful.

Kia vs. Hyundai: Car Brand Differences

Interestingly, Kia is much older than Hyundai and their cars are built using the same underpinnings and components in most cases. Instead of rivals, think of Hyundai and Kia as siblings having a friendly competition. Apart from this, there are a bunch of other differences between the two brands:

Brand Positioning of Hyundai and Kia

While Hyundai has been competing with Maruti Suzuki in the budget segment for decades now, with the entry of new brands like MG, which offer feature-packed premium cars on budget, Hyundai decided to introduce Kia to gain some market share in this Budget Premium segment.

In India, Kia has been promoted as a sporty and premium brand on budget while Hyundai has been positioned as more of a practical and family-oriented brand.

However, globally Kia is positioned as the budget brand of Hyundai while Hyundai cars belong to the mid-segment, however, both in India and Global markets, Hyundai and Kia have comparable base prices.

Styling

While the underpinnings and features of most Hyundai and Kia cars might be similar, their designs are however different. Hyundai follows a more minimalistic and elegant design language while Kia has a more sporty and rugged design.

Both brands experiment with their design language, however, while Hyundai keeps it quiet and elegant, Kia has a more roaring and sporty vibe to it. Just look at Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos and you will get the idea.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing, the base price of Hyundai and Kia models are mostly similar. For example, Kia Sonet starts from Rs 8.82 lakh onwards while Hyundai Venue starts from Rs 9 lakh. The upper prices of the cars of these brands aren’t that different either, however, the top variants of the Kia cars are a bit costlier.

Hyundai cars are overall a bit more affordable than Kia models in India and start from Rs 6.58 onwards with the Grand i10 Nios. Even the award-winning Hyundai Ioniq 5 costs Rs 48.26 lakh while the Kia EV6 is a whole lot pricier at Rs 64.49 lakh. So, while Globally Kia might be considered an affordable brand for Hyundai Motor Group, there isn’t much difference between Hyundai and Kia in India when it comes to pricing.

Ride Quality and Reliability

This is where Hyundai is much better than Kia. While Hyundai cars are known for having a smooth ride quality with a good suspension setup and stable handling, many people have reported Kia cars to have average ride quality and stiff suspension. Hyundai cars are also known for their solid reliability and although Kia cars have improved a lot, their reputation for having electrical issues doesn’t help much.

Are Kia and Hyundai the Same Company?

So back to the question, Are Hyundai and Kia the same company? No, but they are connected and are part of the same group. They share a lot of parts, in fact, in most cases, they are serviced in the same place. Apart from the few key differences mentioned above, there aren’t many differences. Most Hyundai and Kia cars share the same engine, chassis and more.

Also since Hyundai has been in the Indian market for quite some time now, you will get better resale value on their vehicles as compared to Kia, but ultimately it depends on your taste and preference, since both the brands will provide good value.