The automotive industry is one of South Korea’s largest and among the most advanced in Asia. Recently, the DPRK has produced about 4.5 million vehicles annually, nearly 2 million of which are exported abroad. As a result, its contribution to the global automobile industry exceeds 5%, ranking 5th-6th worldwide and 3rd-4th in Asia. Accordingly, South Korean automobiles are in high demand.
What are the Korean automobile brands?
The main automobile companies in South Korea are Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea Company, SsangYong Motor, and Renault Samsung Motors. Beyond the market giants, other South Korean brands include the luxury sedan maker Genesis, the sports-car segment Spirra, and Alpheon, which produces economy sedans.
The automotive industry began in the 1960s, coinciding with the adoption of the first Five-Year Plan, a special five-year economic development plan. Since then, the industry has taken a major leap forward and has become a key industry in the country, generating large production volumes. Moreover, five core companies produce automobiles in South Korea. These include Renault, Samsung Motors, SsangYong Motor, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology, Kia Motors, and Hyundai Motor. They have many industrial sites outside the DPRK.
Luxury Car Brands
Hyundai Motor Group vehicles represent the luxury car category. These relatively young brands were founded in the late XX and early 21st centuries. Large dimensions and representative appearance characterize their products.
Genesis
This automaker emerged after its line was separated from the parent company. Previously, it was part of the Hyundai Motor Group and presented a series of luxury sedans, including the Hyundai Genesis, released in 2004. After almost a decade, the owner announced its separation from the parent company and spin-offaso an independent brand. There were several reasons for this.
First, Genesis was in the top three in sales. Second, it was the most demanded luxury passenger car segment for seven years. Third, buyers wanted to see it as a standalone brand. In 2015, South Korea launched its premium brand with the Genesis autonomous model. In 2020, JD Power named it the most reliable car in North America.
Renault Samsung
In 1994, the company immediately took the lead, as it was the only representative in its class. It is based in Busan, where it produces entry-level luxury cars. Its head office is also located there. Production facilities are divided among three cities: some are concentrated in Busan, others in Seoul, and the third in Gihyun.
The company got its unusual name from its owners: Renault now owns more than 80% of its shares and about 20% of Samsung. The company is also called RSM. At the beginning of its career, the brand was Samsung Motors. It began selling cars in 1998, before the Asian crisis hit. The company was renamed in 2000 after it bought a controlling stake in Renault. Today, RSM has mastered producing luxury cars, crossovers, and electric vehicles.
Mass Market Brands
The mass market segment includes several well-known brands in demand worldwide, not just in Asia. Hyundai, Kia, and SsangYong are longtime automotive brands that emerged in the mid-20th century. They have accumulated vast experience producing passenger cars and have served a broad consumer segment, sometimes displacing European and American models.
Hyundai
The company has been around since 1967 and is known as Hyundai Motor Company. It forms Hyundai Motor Group Corporation, which includes its two subsidiaries (Genesis Motor and Ioniq). In addition, the firm owns almost 40% of Kia Corporation shares and sells its cars in 193 countries. It also operates 5,000 showrooms and dealerships.
The company’s main production facilities are in Ulsan, the world’s largest plant for integrated transportation equipment. Its annual capacity is 1.6 million vehicles.
Kia
This automobile giant was formerly known as Kia Motors Corporation; it is now Kia Corporation. It is an international corporation headquartered in Seoul and ranks second among specialized firms, after the parent company, Hyundai Motor Company. It sells about 3 million vehicles per year. In addition, Kia owns more than 20 Hyundai subsidiaries. Founded in 1944, the company is called Kyungsung Precision Industry. It produces steel pipes and bicycle spare parts. In 1951, it released the Samchully bicycle, Korea’s first bicycle. A year later, the company rebranded as Kia Industries and began producing motorcycles under license from Honda. It then added trucks and cars to its product lineup.
SsangYong
Today, this car manufacturer is one of the four largest in South Korea and ranks fourth in the domestic auto industry. However, this was not always the case, as the company filed for bankruptcy. Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, an Indian multinational corporation, acquired it. The parent company owns almost 75% of the shares. SsangYong was founded in 1954 and was relaunched in 2011. The automaker is headquartered in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Other Brands
The other automobile companies in South Korea include two well-known firms. The first is Spirra, which represents the domestic sports-car segment, and the second is Daewoo, which produces economy-class cars. They are also among the leading manufacturers of road transportation equipment, though not among the top five South Korean manufacturers. They also export products to overseas markets. Alpheon and Asia Motors are also included in this group.
Spirra
Oullim Motors Inc. owns this brand and founded it in 2007 with the first sports car of the same name. It is a subsidiary of Oullim Networks, headquartered in Seoul, with production facilities in neighboring Gyeonggi-do Province. Han-Chul Kim, a former SsangYong designer, and Dong-Hyuk Park, creator and CEO of Oullim Networks, co-founded the firm. The line went into mass production in 2008 and has been supplied to various overseas markets, including the Netherlands, Malaysia, OAO, and China.
Daewoo
The defunct Daewoo was founded in 1982 and produced economy cars. Its headquarters were in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon Province. In 2001, it went bankrupt and was acquired by the American automobile corporation General Motors, which took over most of its assets. In 2011, the South Korean manufacturer was revived as GM Korea.
Alpheon
GM Korea Company (formerly Daewoo Motors), a General Motors subsidiary, owns the automaker. It entered the market in 1983 and produced several million road cars annually, supplying many countries worldwide. The firm mainly focuses on the economy sedan segment, developing American passenger cars between 2010 and 2015.
Asia Motors
A subsidiary of KIA Motors, it was founded in 1965 and initially produced military vehicles. A few years later, it retooled and moved into producing heavy vehicles, SUVs, and vans. In 1969, Dongkuk Steels bought Asia Motors and retooled the plant to produce low-cost export vehicles.
Pyeonghwa Motors
Although North Korea’s automobile industry is much less developed than South Korea’s, it still has large companies. Some, such as Pyeonghwa Motors, are even represented in the international market. The name of this manufacturer means “peace” in Korean. It is written in hieroglyphics on the upper part of the shield, which is the basis of the logo. Below the text are two doves connected by their tails. This personifies the word “Pyeonghwa,” as the white dove is a well-known symbol of peace. The shield is triangular and resembles a clam shell. It is divided into several color blocks: the blue center sits within a wide black frame, and the edges are outlined in light lines.
Proto Motors
South Korean company Proto Motors produced several sports car models until it ceased operations in 2017. After 20 years of operation, it is remembered for its “PROTOmotors” logo, in which the first letter “O” was replaced by a ring of two arc-shaped lines: emerald and purple. The closest letters (“P,” “R,” “T,” and “O”) were black and capitalized. At the same time, the designers used gray lowercase glyphs for the second half of the brand name. But all letters, regardless of the case, matched in size.
Ioniq
Ioniq is a line of hybrid and electric cars from the South Korean automaker Hyundai. It has its logo: a light-blue wordmark. The inscription is in the original bold sans-serif font. All letters, except “Q,” resemble Canada Type’s Simplicity Pro Bold font. The last glyph is custom-designed and resembles a ring cut into a square segment in the lower-right corner, pushed outward.
HTWO
The HTWO brand will debut in 2020. It represents Hyundai’s latest fuel cell system for transitioning to clean energy. This development combines state-of-the-art hydrogen technology, so the name HTWO encrypts the hydrogen molecule H2.
The brand’s emblem is not trivial: it contains a “+” sign between two vertical stripes. All elements are light blue. The chosen shade contrasts with the black of the inscription below. For the word “GVS,” designers used the simplest possible font, sans-serif. It has many analogs, such as Biryani Bold by TypeOff, Kursk 205 Light by Talbot Type, and Touche Medium by Indian Type Foundry.
Zyle Daewoo Bus Corporation
This South Korean company is currently called Zyle Daewoo Bus. It was founded in 1955 and is owned by the Young-An Hat Company. Its logo is a complex geometric figure resembling an oval-shaped steering wheel. Below is the modern name in a clean, minimalist design.
FAQ
What is the best Korean car brand?
Hyundai offers many models, from compact cars like the Hyundai Elantra and Sonata to SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe. The brand integrates advanced technologies into its cars and consistently receives high marks for vehicle quality and reliability. This reliability has helped build a loyal customer base worldwide. The company has invested heavily in designing visually appealing, standout vehicles.
Kia Motors, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, is a strong player. Kia makes stylish, affordable, and well-equipped cars. Models such as the Kia Sportage, Sorento, and Telluride have received critical acclaim and are popular among consumers.
Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury division, is known for premium vehicles that compete with leading luxury brands. Genesis models such as the G70, G80, and GV80 offer a combination of luxury, performance, and advanced technology.
Other well-known brands in the Korean market include Renault, Samsung Motors, SsangYong Motor, and GM Korea (Chevrolet).
What car brands does South Korea make?
South Korea has a highly developed automobile industry and produces several well-known car brands. Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea Company, SsangYong Motor, and Renault Samsung Motors are the main manufacturers. Each brand holds an important place in the global automotive market.
These brands produce a wide range of vehicles, from compact cars and sedans to SUVs and electric vehicles, significantly impacting the global automobile market.
Which cars are built in Korea?
South Korea produces a wide range of cars, from consumer vehicles to luxury cars. These brands cater to customers’ varied needs by offering a range of models. Major manufacturers and their models include:
Hyundai Motor Company:
- Hyundai Elantra
- Hyundai Sonata
- Hyundai Tucson
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Hyundai Ioniq
- Hyundai Kona Electric
Kia Motors:
- Kia Sportage
- Kia Sorento
- Kia Telluride
- Kia Rio
- Kia Niro
- Kia EV6
GM Korea (Chevrolet):
- Chevrolet Spark
- Chevrolet Trax
SsangYong Motor:
- SsangYong Rexton
- SsangYong Tivoli
- SsangYong Korando
Renault Samsung Motors:
- Renault Samsung SM6
- Renault Samsung QM6
- Renault Samsung SM3 Z.E.
What is the most famous car in Korea?
As of 2021, South Korea’s most famous car is the Hyundai Porter. This compact truck is popular for its versatility and practicality, making it a top choice for businesses and individuals.
Second is the Hyundai Grandeur, a mid-size sedan that has long been popular with South Korean drivers. The Grandeur is known for its elegant design, luxurious interior, and cutting-edge technology. It delivers a smooth, comfortable ride, making it a top choice for a premium driving experience.
Kia Carnival ranks third in sales. Families like this minivan for its spacious interior, flexible seating, and numerous safety features. Known as the Kia Sedona in some markets, the Carnival offers a comfortable, convenient ride, making it an excellent choice for large families and those who need extra cargo space.