Korean cars might not be as well-known as their German or Japanese counterparts, but they still manage to pack a punch in their own way. A very powerful punch, actually. For a country that's extremely small in geographical area (but admittedly quite large in terms of population), it's staggering to think that South Korea can easily be considered an international star in the automobile scene. In fact, it's the fifth largest global car producer overall in the automotive industry (so better than Britain).
That's because the twenty-first century has seen the South Korean automobile landscape grow from an emerging market into an industry leader with its vehicles exported all over the world, and with some well-respected manufacturers to its name. Of these, Hyundai and KIA by far represent the largest car brands amongst consumers worldwide, but there's also a few more obscure ones which you might not know about and which we'll take a look at.
You never know, you might end up wanting to lease one!
Genesis
Although arguably a brand in its own right, Genesis is actually a subset of Hyundai, representing that manufacturer's luxury vehicle division. Sitting further up the ladder than the more run-of-the-mill Hyundai and KIA car models, Genesis cars are both luxurious and boast high trim levels and specs. And although fairly new on the market, the Genesis brand ensures that each of its cars is built with precision engineering, giving you unrivalled levels of reliability and a high standard of sophistication.
The brand was launched in South Korea in 2015, and since then, its products have been rolled out worldwide, including to Europe. And that's little surprise when you consider how good their cars are.
Let's take a look and see . . .
G70
From what started out as a luxury mid-size sedan back in 2017, the latest generation G70 has grown out of its young and sophisticated look and enhanced its bold Genesis design identity, being reborn as a true luxury performance sedan – with all the benefits that that entails. Featuring a traditional rear-wheel-drive platform and powertrain, the G70 is a vehicle that simply screams athletic ability, based not only on its deftness and elegance but also on its high-performance luxury.
It also helps that out on the streets it could potentially be mistaken for an Aston Martin from the front. (Or maybe not . . !)
GV80
The Genesis brand's very first SUV, the GV80 lets drivers start an epic journey with its unique athletic elegance, progressive design philosophy and modern vision. The new GV80 Luxury Plus is the sheer pinnacle of the Genesis range, and passengers can benefit from a spacious six-seat layout that lets everyone enjoy the ultimate in comfort, making every journey a pleasure rather than a chore.
Plus, we think that the large grill at the front really helps make the GV80 stand out.
Hyundai Motors
Known more simply as 'Hyundai', Hyundai Motor Group is probably the most well-known carmaker to emerge out of the country of South Korea. What's more, it easily falls into the world's top ten car manufacturers, especially if you include its subsidiary KIA Motors and Genesis Motors groups into the mix (which we do).
Hyundai Motor Group may have a not undeserved reputation for focusing on safe and family-oriented SUVs like the Santa Fe, the Kona and the Tucson, but in recent years the brand has slowly shifted its strategy and branched out into the production of more performance-based hybrid and electric vehicles like the futuristic Ioniq 5 and the Kona Electric. And it's hard to blame them, because electric does seem to be the way that the car industry is going in terms of the future, which can only be a good thing. Elsewhere in the range, you'll find sedans and saloons such as the IONIQ, not to mention Hyundai's distinctive 'i' line (the i10, the i20 and the i30).
IONIQ 5
Inspired by the 1975 Hyundai Pony, it's easy to see where the IONIQ 5 gets its good looks. Not to be confused with the standard IONIQ, this electric SUV is designed to be a great and green option for the environmentally-conscious driver. 1970s curves meet futuristic angles in an exterior that's sure to impress, and that futuristic theme only continues inside the cabin, where occupants get an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display, a high-end Bose audio system and two 12.5" infotainment screens to enjoy. Not bad.
The IONIQ 5 shares rivalries with fellow electric cars in the form of the Tesla Model 3, the Volkswagen ID4 and the Kia EV6. And with the level of quality on offer, it's safe to say that the IONIQ 5 is more than able to stand its ground and compete.
Santa Fe
With a pleasant name that sounds like it came straight out of a sunny beach in California, the only thing that the Hyundai Santa Fe has done over the years is improve. Its fourth generation predecessor was a really solid vehicle that's now a great used buy, and this fifth generation model has managed to step things up even more convincingly. It's classy, it's very well-built and it's cleverly thought out on the inside. All of those qualities come together to culminate in a car that's almost impossible to dislike, even if SUVs aren't quite your cup of tea.
Come to think of it, this Korean masterclass is probably a very good choice for someone who's never considered an SUV before. It's not showy, it's not risk-taking, and instead just represents a coming together of all the best bits of these kinds of models: space, versatility, ease of ownership, and last but not least, the refreshing lack of drama of a large family car.
Tucson
The tough looks of an SUV, the sensible practicality of a 5-seater mini-MPV, and the affordability of a family hatchback – these facts are all part of the appeal behind a new and improved Tucson model that should even be good enough to attract fresh buyers to the Hyundai brand.
It's well-built, it's efficient to run and it's more than capable in 4WD form of getting to all the places that any ordinary family driver would wish to go. Of course, it's far from perfect – a class-leading family hatch could offer sharper handling and better all-round visibility – but these facts still aren't enough to stop the Tucson from being an overall sound good choice.
KIA Motors
Not an elite carmaker, the KIA Motors brand aims to manufacture automobiles that manage to fulfil the customer's needs without being too controversial or causing up too much of a fuss. Functionality before flashiness. Safety before risk. And yet, despite that, KIA is still officially a luxury car brand, with the company favouring the slogan, “The Power to Surprise”. And surprise it truly does.
Founded in 1944 in Seoul, South Korea's capital city, KIA Motors has risen to become the country's second-largest auto manufacturer, with only Hyundai ahead of it in the pecking order. And in doing so, the brand has done more than live up to the Asian meaning of its name: "Rising from the East". And having expanded into Europe from 1991, KIA Motors is just another outstanding example of an East Asian brand that continues to make its mark in the Western world.
Fun fact: the KIA Motors brand has two logos – one specifically for the South Korean market and another text-based one for us Westerners. Ours simply depicts the word ‘KIA', with the letter 'A' in the form of an upside down ‘V'.
Niro
The new KIA Niro model does a terrific job of blending style with thrift. And if you're on the lookout for something from either the small crossover segment or the hybrid bracket, then this is a vehicle that you simply can't overlook. You might only be on the lookout for one or the other of those segments, but the Niro does offer you the best of both worlds if compromise is what you're after.
Of course, there's always the possibility that you might find another hybrid out there which could be more economical, and for sure there's bound to be a handful of other nice compact SUVs out there, but we think that few are going to be as nice-looking as the Niro. And true enough, the South Korean brand has very smoothly managed the hybrid SUV compromise. , and not South Korean, but we thought we'd include it anyway out of interest.
Pyeonghwa Motors, or Peace Motors as it was known in Korea, was formed in 1998 and has mainly been producing pickups and SUVs for Korean automobile manufacturers. The automobile manufacturer is the result of an agreement between the Ryonbong General Corporation and Pyonghwa Motors in Seoul. The company produces relatively few cars and is the South Korean automaker. Despite its small market, the automobile industry exports 300 or 400 vehicles per year.
Renault Samsung Motors (Renault Korea Motors)
Not to be confused with the standard Renault, this is the South Korean vehicle brand of the famous French group. As such, it's no surprise that the firm's focus is mainly on its native country. Renault has held an 80% stake in Samsung Motors since 2000, and Renault Samsung Motors draws its strength from French-style management combined with the high-tech expertise of Samsung and its Korean corporate culture. Renault Samsung Motors has become Korea's third-biggest manufacturer in the space of just ten years.
SsangYong
An unusual-sounding brand which you might not have heard of, SsangYong was founded in 1994 and is currently the fourth-largest Korean car manufacturer at the time of writing. The brand produces luxury cars in addition to the SUV models and pick-up trucks which they're more commonly known for. Unfortunately, the Korean manufacturer was hit hard financially and was subsequently acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra Limited in February 2011.
Designed with versatility in mind, the SsangYong range of pick-up trucks makes short work of towing thanks to the exceptional towing capacity of up to 3,500kg. In short, the combination of practicality and luxury on offer ought to make the SsangYong range the go-to choice when it comes to looking for your next SUV or pickup truck.
Korando
'Korea can do'. That's apparently what "Korando" means in literal terms, and it's a meaning which seems nicely appropriate given the high-quality cars currently coming out of the country – this one least of all. After all, it's hard to think of a car maker that has come so far in such little time as Ssangyong, and the appeal and craftsmanship of the Korando does more than enough to reflect the brand's expertise in its line of work.
This latest model remains very reasonably priced and feels even more class-competitive in its comfy fourth generation guise. Yet, as SsangYong themselves would admit, despite its perfections, the Korando is still very much a car that remains a work in progress. But the positive signs are there: the Korean manufacturer is quickly learning just how the European market works and what its consumers want, so you can bet your left leg that there's still plenty more to come from future Korando models, not to mention from the SsangYong brand itself.
Rexton
Alright, let's get down to the bare facts here: there's probably no other fully-functioning SUV quite in the same bracket as the Ssangyong Rexton. The bottom line is that if you want a comparable model with the same number of seats (seven) and one that has the same towing capability and which can go just as far off the beaten track, then you'll need to fork out around 30% more for a Mitsubishi Shogun. Worse still, a Land Rover Discovery or a Toyota Land Cruiser cost nearly twice as much. Ouch!
This is a simple but important point that appears to have been lost on most reviewers who seem to insist on comparing the Rexton to 'rivals' that wouldn't even dream of tackling the rough obstacles that this Rexton will take on and navigate in its stride.
Zyle Daewoo Bus Corporation
Something a little different this time, but it still counts as an automobile manufacturer.
As the name would suggest, Zyle Daewoo Buses (founded 2002) is a Korean automaker whose main focus is on producing buses. It was first known as Shinjin Motor Corporation, then General Motor Korea, and then Daiwoo Heavy Industry. Daewoo's own bus manufacturing business afterwards became known as Daewoo Bus Corporation in 2002. The company mostly produces public transport vehicles and has several subsidiary and partner companies including Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing, Guililin Daewoo and Shanghai Wanxiang Daewoo Bus.
Of course, as well as the active ones, there's also a fair few Korean manufacturers that haven't stood the test of time and which are no longer with us (someone organise a funeral . . .).
Asia Motors
Established in 1965 and closed in 1999, Asian Motors was a famous Korean automaker that produced both passenger and commercial cars. The company initially functioned as an operating subsidiary to KIA Motors Group and was responsible for churning out a great number of SUV models, both small and large. In 1973, the Korean Government began the development of energy-efficient and economical automobiles. However, Asian Motors failed to meet the conditions of the program and the company struggled before eventually being sold to the well-known KIA group. Hyundai then acquired KIA and in 1999 Asia Motors was finally sold off.
Daewoo Motors
Next up is Daewoo Motors, which dates founded in 1937 and shut down in 2002. It's hardly a household name, but nonetheless, Daewoo Motors played a key role in South Korea's automotive industry that deserves to be noted. Amongst the renowned models the company has produced are the Nexia, the Leganza and the LeMan. These were produced in the 80s and resembled the style of Chrysler and Toyota cars. In that same decade the company began producing Italian cars, such as the Espero Tico.
Proto Motors
Founded in 1997 and closed in 2017, Proto Motors was a Korean automobile manufacturing company that focused on manufacturing buses and electric vehicles. The company was also affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group, Daewoo Motor Company and KIA Motor Group. Its latest product was the Spirra convertible electric vehicle. In 2001, they were even responsible for creating a custom-designed limousine for a Presidential residence in Seoul called the Cheongwadae.
As you've probably learned, the world really is your oyster when it comes to Korean cars and Korean car brands. There's just so much choice available across so many different brands, and it's only going to get better as the years go on.
Again, why do they rate so highly, you may ask? Well, they might not be the flashiest, but Korean car companies take after their Japanese counterparts by managing to build up a more than healthy relationship with their customers (i.e. you), all whilst maintaining a strong commitment to delivering the very best quality. And as mentioned, Korea does still have its fair share of luxury cars too (e.g. Genesis), so it's far from a case of one-size-fits-all.
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